Market Update

There were 194,000 initial jobless claims in the week ending February 11, the weekly data published by the US Department of Labor (DOL) showed on Thursday. This print followed the previous week’s print of 195,000 and came in slightly better than the market expectation of 200,000. Further details of the …

Standard Chartered raised its performance targets, unveiled a $1 billion share buyback program and posted a 28 percent increase in annual profit after higher global interest rates boosted its lending revenue. The bank said about 10 percent of its overall profit growth came from interest rates as central banks raised …

Gold prices stabilized on Thursday due to a slight decline in the dollar and Treasury yields, but gains remained limited due to signs of the strength of the US economy, which may allow the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again. And by 0920 GMT, spot gold rose 0.1 percent …

Oil prices fell on Thursday after a large build in US crude inventories, but continued to move in a narrow range as hopes for a recovery in demand from China remained in focus. And by 1042 GMT, Brent crude futures fell 36 cents, or 0.42 percent, to $ 85.02 a …

European stocks opened higher on Thursday, supported by Airbus, which also lifted the French blue-chip index to near a record high, while mining companies led sectoral gains as commodity prices rose. The Stoxx 600 index of European shares rose 0.7 percent, and the French CAC 40 index rose 0.9 percent, …

The Russian ruble fell to near a ten-month low near 75 against the dollar on Thursday, affected by lower foreign exchange earnings from oil and gas exports and fears of the European Union imposing new sanctions on Moscow. The ruble fell 0.4% against the dollar to 74.8 by 0744 GMT, …

Oil prices rose on Thursday as hopes for a strong recovery in fuel demand in China, the world’s largest oil consumer, offset losses from a stronger dollar and a large build in US crude inventories. And by 0725 GMT, Brent crude futures rose 59 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $ …

Japan’s Topix index closed Thursday at a 2-1/2 month high as auto and tire makers rebounded after the yen fell, and Wall Street’s rally at the close last night lifted market sentiment. The broader Topix index rose 0.71 percent to close at 27,696.44 points. The yen hovered near a six-week …

Gold prices regained some momentum on Thursday as the dollar weakened, but the prospect of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates again kept investors on edge. By 0333 GMT, spot gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,840.94 an ounce, after hitting its lowest level since early January on Wednesday. US gold …

The dollar benefited from renewed concerns about the continued US Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening spurring risk aversion. As American inflation eased just modestly in January, hopes for a Fed’s pivot faded. The United States published Retail Sales on Wednesday, which surged by 3% MoM in January, much better than anticipated. …