Hong Kong’s equity market commenced Tuesday’s trading session with modest gains, as investors displayed cautious optimism. The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced by 86 points, or 0.33 per cent, to open at 25,945. Supporting the positive opening, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index recorded a gain of 28 points to reach 9,158, while the technology-focused…

Japanese stock markets opened sluggishly and were immediately dragged down by concerns about the state of the United States economy and the outlook for domestic corporate earnings. The electronics and pharmaceutical sectors were the biggest drags, with NEC Corp. falling 2.2% and Sumitomo Pharma plunging 4.3%. On the currency side, USD/JPY weakened to 155.85, lower…

Oil prices rose again after OPEC+ confirmed plans to temporarily halt production increases during the first quarter. This Saudi Arabia-led decision is considered a response to seasonally weaker market conditions. Brent is now trading above $63 per barrel, while WTI is approaching $60, signaling that the market is beginning to adjust to the new supply…

Silver jumped more than 2% to a record high, supported by ongoing supply tightness and rising expectations for an interest-rate cut in the US this month. Gold was steady. The white metal traded as high as $57.86 an ounce, rising for a sixth consecutive day and building on a 6% gain in the previous session….

Japanese stocks rose on Wednesday as artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks rallied and hopes for a US interest rate cut grew. The Topix index rose 2% to 3,355.50 as of 3:30 p.m. Tokyo time, while the Nikkei 225 gained 1.8% to 49,559.07. Of the 1,668 stocks on the Topix index, 1,471 rose, only 166 fell, and…