On Thursday morning (1 August, 10:03 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), indices in Asia Pacific traded mixed following remarks made by the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, suggesting the possibility of a rate reduction in September should inflation data continue to show positive trends.
Investors in Asia are also evaluating business activity data in the region alongside the Fed’s statements, with the purchasing managers index for July from China, Japan, and South Korea.
South Korea’s KOSPI rose by 0.45% to 2,783.02. Australia’s ASX 200 grew by 0.45% to 8,129.1, while Japan’s NIKKEI plummeted by 2.58% to 38,094.24.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC slid by 0.05% to 2,937.32. Hong Kong’s HSI dipped by 0.12% to 17,323.54, and Shenzhen’s SZI lost 0.7% to 8,692.73.
Meanwhile, the US stock markets edged up on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained 0.24% to 40,842.79. NASDAQ jumped by 2.64% to 17,599.4, and S&P 500 soared by 1.58% to 5,522.3. VIX slumped by 7.52% to 16.36.
As for commodities, oil prices grew on Thursday following the assassination of a Hamas leader in Iran, heightening concerns about a potential escalation in the Middle East conflict. Additionally, robust oil demand in the U.S. also contributed to the price surge. Brent futures increased 67 cents or 0.8% to settle at $81.51 a barrel by 0007 GMT, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) added 69 cents or 0.9% to settle at $78.60 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures edged up 37 cents or 0.46% to $80.6 a barrel, and the WTI grew 50 cents or 0.64% to $78.41 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures rose by 0.47% to $2,484.5 per Troy ounce.
