16/06/2023
Today’s Announcements & News
Asia
Asia-Pacific markets showed a mixed performance on Friday, influenced by the recent gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. Investors in the region awaited the Bank of Japan’s rate decision, while analysts from Bank of America predicted no changes to the BOJ’s yield curve control policy or interest rates.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 experienced a second consecutive day of losses, declining by 0.71%, while the Topix saw a smaller decrease of 0.52%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, on the other hand, recorded a gain of 0.44%. South Korea’s Kospi also performed positively, rising by 0.25%, and the Kosdaq showed a similar upward trend with a 0.28% increase.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was expected to extend its rally after a gain of over 2% on Thursday. Futures indicated a higher opening, with the index futures at 19,951 compared to the previous close of the Hang Seng index at 19,828.92.
United States
Thursday night, stock futures showed a slight decline as investors shifted their attention from the recent Federal Reserve policy meeting to upcoming economic data. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 48 points, equivalent to a 0.1% decrease. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures also traded down around 0.2%.
In after-hours trading, Virgin Galactic shares surged more than 40% after the company announced its first commercial space tourism flight scheduled for the end of the month. Adobe stock also rose more than 3% following the company’s better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results and optimistic outlook for the current quarter and full year.
These movements came after a positive trading session on Wall Street, as investors interpreted the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged as a signal that rate hikes may be coming to an end. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both gained over 1%, extending their winning streaks to six consecutive days. This marks the longest winning streak for the S&P 500 since November 2021.
The three major indexes are on track to end the week with gains, building on the recent market rally. The S&P 500 is up nearly 3%, set for its best weekly performance since March. The Nasdaq Composite has gained almost 4% since the start of the week, marking its eighth straight winning week, the longest streak since March 2019. The Dow has seen a more modest gain of 1.6% this week, hampered by a significant drop of over 5% in UnitedHealth stock.
Commodity
On Thursday, oil prices experienced a 3% increase, reaching a one-week high. This rise can be attributed to two factors: a weaker U.S. dollar and an increase in refinery operations in China, which is the largest importer of crude oil.
Brent crude futures saw a gain of $2.47, or 3.4%, settling at $75.67 per barrel. Similarly, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by $2.35, also a 3.4% increase, settling at $70.62 per barrel.
On Thursday, gold prices rebounded from a three-month low, benefiting from a decline in the dollar and bond yields following the release of U.S. economic data. This provided investors with some relief from the “hawkish pause” on interest rates by the Federal Reserve.
Spot gold recorded a gain of 0.78%, reaching $1,958.1844 per ounce after reaching its lowest level since March 17. Meanwhile, U.S. gold futures settled 0.1% higher at $1,970.7.
The above analysis is only for the views of market researchers and is for reference only and is not regarded as a specific investment suggestion.