PARIS, France (AFP) — Stock markets and oil prices fell in holiday-thinned trade Monday as traders digested weak Chinese economic data and a looming US interest rate hike. Equities kicked off the month of May on the wrong foot after Wall Street finished a tough April by closing sharply down on Friday following disappointing results from tech giant Amazon. Paris and Frankfurt were down in midday trading while London was closed for a bank […]
Tag: markets
Oil stabilises after big drop on IMF growth cut
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets were flat on Wednesday as oil began clawing its way back up from a big drop after the International Monetary Fund downgraded its global growth forecast for 2022. The IMF lowered its outlook to 3.6 percent — a 0.8 percentage point slash from its previous estimate released in January — prompting a five-percent dive in oil prices on Tuesday. The Fund pointed to surging energy prices, rising […]
Elon Musk buys large stake in Twitter, sending stock soaring
by John Biers © Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Twitter’s shares soared after Tesla CEO Elon Musk disclosed on Monday a large stake in the social media company, which he has criticized for its approach to speech rights. Musk, who has more than 80 million followers on the microblogging platform, became its largest shareholder following the purchase of 73.5 million shares or 9.2 percent of common stock, according to a securities filing. […]
Stocks edge higher on solid US jobs data, oil prices retreat
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Wall Street stocks finished modestly higher Friday as solid US jobs data boosted expectations for more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, while oil prices retreated after US allies agreed to tap their emergency stockpiles. The government jobs report for March showed US employers adding 431,000 positions and the unemployment rate falling to 3.6 percent, a hair above where it was before the pandemic. The data showed progress in […]
Asian markets fall further and oil extends steep losses
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Equities fell Friday after their worst quarter since the early days of the pandemic as traders assess the impact of the war in Ukraine and the Federal Reserve’s plans to fight surging inflation by ramping up interest rates. Oil fell further following a plunge Thursday in response to news that the United States would release a million barrels a day from its reserves as it looks to rein in […]
URGENT: WTI oil price soars more than 10% on Ukraine fallout
US benchmark oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, soared more than 10 percent in value Tuesday, as Ukraine’s invasion by key producer Russia fuels fears over supplies. WTI reached $106.29 per barrel and European benchmark Brent North Sea crude surged more than nine percent to $107.44 — with both levels the highest in more than seven years. emb-bcp/kjm © Agence France-Presse
World stocks plunge, oil tops $105 as Russia invades Ukraine
Oil surged past $105 per barrel and equities tumbled Thursday after key crude producer Russia sent forces into Ukraine, accelerating fears of a major war in eastern Europe. Asian and European stock markets nosedived — with Frankfurt shedding five percent in mid-afternoon trading — as investors fled risky equities, while haven investment, gold, rose to just over $1,955 per ounce. After weeks of warnings from the United States and other powers, Russian President Vladimir Putin […]
Oil tops $100, havens rally, stocks drop as Russia invades Ukraine
Oil prices broke past $100 and safe havens surged while equities tumbled Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine, accelerating fears of a major war. Markets have been hammered this week after the Kremlin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and said it would provide “peacekeepers” to the regions, leading to warnings of a conflagration. The Russian president said in a surprise statement on television: “I have made the […]
Asian markets drop on inflation woes, China growth slows further
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets struggled Monday as inflation concerns returned to the fore, with commodity prices rallying and central banks preparing to roll back their ultra-loose monetary policies. Adding to the grey mood was data showing growth in China’s economy, the world’s second-biggest, slowed further in the third quarter, hit by a property-sector crisis and a looming energy crunch. The losses follow a healthy run-up last week across the world fuelled by […]
$80 oil sparks mixed fortunes for world economy
by Benoît PELEGRIN Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Oil prices jumped above $80 this week for the first time in almost three years, handing a major boost to producers — but fuelling more inflationary pain for consumers, analysts say. The price of European benchmark Brent North Sea crude for delivery in November hit $80.75 per barrel on Tuesday, attaining the highest level since October 2018, but edged lower on Wednesday. The market has […]
Asian markets fluctuate as traders weigh recovery against Delta
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets were mixed Wednesday as investors tried to assess whether the global recovery will be resilient enough to withstand the fast-spreading Delta Covid variant, with optimism being tested by the stuttering rollout of vaccines and a spike in infections in some countries. China’s drive to tighten its grip on the world’s number two economy with a swathe of new regulations for private enterprises is also weighing on sentiment, while […]
Asian markets sink again as virus, stimulus, election fan fears
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets tumbled Thursday following another sharp sell-off on Wall Street as investors were bombarded by a perfect storm of problems including rising virus infections, new lockdowns, a slowing economic recovery, stalled US stimulus talks and election uncertainty. Months of mind-boggling gains in global equities have come to a juddering halt this month, with expectations that the wall of cash from governments and central banks would jumpstart a rebound […]





