Yen Drops on Reduced Refuge Demand as Japan Considers Stimulus

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The yen weakened for a third day against the dollar on speculation Japan may expand monetary and fiscal stimulus while a global recovery in risk sentiment sapped haven demand for the currency.

Japan’s currency dropped versus all of its major peers as global equities rallied. The Shanghai Composite Index rose for a second day, after China’s finance ministry pledged to accelerate construction of some major projects and reduce companies’ tax burden.

The yen weakened 0.6 percent to 120.50 per dollar at 5 p.m. New York time, reversing some of the 2.2 percent rally in August. Japan’s currency depreciated 0.6 percent to 135.04 per euro. The shared currency was little changed at $1.1207.

Source: Bloomberg

Emas Berjangka Catat Penutupan Terendah Dalam Sebulan

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Emas berjangka mencatatkan penutupan terendah dalam satu bulan pada hari Rabu, akibat kenaikan dalam ekuitas Asia dan Eropa serta penguatan dalam dolar AS yang membuat investor menjauh dari logam mulia.

Emas untuk pengiriman Desember turun $ 19, atau 1,7%, untuk menetap di level $ 1.102 per ons di Comex. Yang merupakan harga terendah sejak 7 Agustus lalu. Harga emas telah turun dalam 10 dari 12 sesi terakhir. Itu belum termasuk hari Senin, untuk harga penetapan Comex karena liburan Hari Buruh.

Saham Asia dan Eropa mengalami reli, sementara saham-saham AS diperdagangkan lebih rendah di penetapan Comex dalam reli terbaik kedua mereka dalam tahun ini pada hari Selasa.

Minat atas resiko dikombinasikan dengan penguatan dolar yang diukur dengan U.S. ICE Dollar index membebani logam kuning dalam mata uang dolar.

Logam lainnya, perak untuk Desember ditutup dengan kerugian 17,9 sen atau 1,2%, di level $ 14,576 per ons.(frk)

Sumber: Bloomberg

Japanese Stocks Decline After Nikkei 225 Posts Historic Rally

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Japanese stocks tumbled, after the Nikkei 225 Stock Average posted an historic rally on Wednesday, as U.S. data bolstered the case for a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase.

The Nikkei 225 sank 1.9 percent to 18,419.80 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo, after soaring 7.7 percent on Wednesday, its eighth largest one-day advance. The Topix index declined 1.9 percent to 1,478.82, with all of its 33 industry groups falling. The yen strengthened for the first time in four days, trading at 120.24 per dollar. U.S. stocks dropped after a report showed job openings in July rose more than forecast, indicating the labor market is tightening and providing more evidence for the Fed to raise rates next week.

Source: Bloomberg

U.S. Stocks Halt Global Rally as Oil Leads Commodities Lower

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A three-day rally in global equities faltered in the U.S.

American stocks failed to add to their second-biggest advance of the year, as early gains following Asian rallies faded amid jobs data that bolstered the case for higher U.S. interest rates. Losses worsened in afternoon trading as Apple Inc. slumped after unveiling new products.

Oil led a selloff in commodities amid concerns that supply gluts will persist, while Treasuries almost erased losses after strong demand at a government auction. Asia stocks rallied, with Japan posting its biggest advance since 2008, amid signs that governments in the region will be able to stabilize financial markets. European equities capped a three-day advance that was the longest since before China devalued its currency.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.4 percent to 1,942.20. at 4 p.m. in New York, after earlier rising as much as 1 percent. The gauge rallied 2.5 percent yesterday, second only in 2015 to a 4 percent jump on Aug. 26.

The Fed remains in focus for equities investors before next week’s meeting, with odds favoring an increase in interest rates by the end of the year.

Wide market swings and rapid shifts in sentiment have become more prevalent since China’s currency devaluation on Aug. 11 sparked concerns that a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy would spread. The S&P 500 yesterday regained almost three-quarters of its 3.4 percent slide last week, which was the second-biggest retreat since December behind the 5.8 percent plunge it suffered in the five days through Aug. 21.

Source: Bloomberg  

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate After Gains Fade Amid Global Markets Rally

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U.S. stocks fluctuated, after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index briefly erased last week’s losses, as an early rally sparked by gains in Japan and China faded.

Investors took a breather following the second-strongest rally of 2015, as advances among banks and commodity shares were offset by declines in health-care and consumer staples companies. Copper producer Freeport-McMoRan Inc. rose 4.1 percent to lead raw-materials higher. Netflix Inc. jumped 6.8 percent, poised to snap a seven-day losing streak. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index slipped 0.7 percent after a 4.2 percent jump yesterday.

The S&P 500 Index added 0.2 percent to 1,973.32 at 12:43 p.m. in New York, after earlier rising as much as 1 percent. The gauge surged 2.5 percent yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 26.21 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,518.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.4 percent after climbing 1.1 percent earlier.

U.S. data today showed job openings surged to a record in July, as hiring cooled, a sign employers are having a hard time finding qualified workers. The number of positions waiting to be filled jumped by 430,000, the biggest gain since April 2010, to 5.75 million. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast 5.3 million openings.

Equities earlier joined in a global rally as China’s markets climbed amid optimism that more government stimulus is on the way, while stocks in Tokyo staged the biggest rally since 2008 amid speculation a selloff that drove valuations to an 11-month low was overdone. U.S. stocks pared gains after the data showing higher-than-forecast job openings.

Source: Bloomberg