EBC Global

Gold prices inched higher on Thursday, supported by a slight pullback in the dollar, while markets waited to see if Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi would thrash out a trade deal. Beijing had been more circumspect about the prospects of an agreement, but in a possible sign of thawing relationshi

The euro's 14% gain in the first half of the year was the biggest since its creation, as traders dumped the greenback on the back of a once-in-a-generation shift in German fiscal spending amid rising trade tensions. The uptrend may near its end though. Europe is yet feel the full pains of tariffs, w

Hong Kong shares failed to get a lift from Wall Street on Wednesday, as market braced for a busy day headlined by the Fed's decision and earnings from technology heavyweights. The ASEAN bloc and China signed an upgrade to their free trade agreement, which includes sections on digital, the green econ

The Swiss franc strengthened on Tuesday ahead of a slate of central bank meetings that will likely see a Fed rate cut. Meanwhile, all eyes are on Trump's Asia tour, hoping for a trade deal with China. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter declined to say whether her country could this year strike a de

US stock index extended gains on Friday to keep its momentum heading into year-end, including a flood of corporate results headlined by megacap companies and a likely interest rate cut by the Fed. Among companies that have reported, S&P 500 profits are estimated to have increased 10.4% from a ye

The Nikkei 225 rose more than 1% on Friday before a speech where the nation's new prime minister is expected to talk about stimulus. Wall Street earnings and signs of a thaw in US-China relations boosted investor sentiment. Japanese exports in September snapped four months of declines, climbing 4.2%

Oil prices jumped on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session, after the US imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil over the Ukraine war. The new sanctions aiming to imperil a war machine were unveiled one day after plans for a summit between Trump and Putin were put

Chinese stocks have regained footing after a horrible week, but they remain remote from their all-time peak. Meanwhile, their Japanese and Korean peers reached record levels last week. The divergence stems from trade talks with Washington and macroeconomic landscape. Sporadic flare-up in tensions be

The dollar weakened in early Asian trade on Wednesday, further away from the 6-month high against the Canadian dollar. PM Carney has confirmed sectoral tariff deal with the US. Canada's annual inflation rate increased more than expected to 2.4% in September, mainly led by a smaller decline in gasoli

The yen held steady on Tuesday, ahead of a parliament vote in Japan that is almost certain to see hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi become the country's first female prime minister. The last thing that an over-indebted Japan struggling with inflation needs is fiscal dove. Core inflation likely ac

Sterling inched up on Monday after Trump said retaliatory 100% tariff on goods from China would be "not sustainable", and confirmed he would still meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks. The British economy expanded by a lacklustre 0.1% in August, in line with consensus forecast. Econom

Oil prices edged lower on Friday, heading for a weekly loss, with uncertainty over global energy supplies after Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Hungary to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The EIA said US crude inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels last week, compared with analysts' expect

The Australian dollar slipped on Thursday as the Sino-US trade war sapped investor sentiment, while growing confidence of the Fed cutting its policy interest rate this year also weighed on the greenback. Australia's unemployment rate spiked unexpectedly to a near four-year high in September as more