Today's News Update - 19th Dec 2024 Asia Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Wednesday, following losses on Wall Street and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. In Japan, export growth of 3.8% in November exceeded expectations, while imports fell 3.8%. Japan's trade deficit widened to 117.6 billion yen, larger than expected. The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.72%, while the Topix fell 0.31%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.06%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.95%, and China’s CSI 300 rose 0.51%. US Markets are awaiting the Federal Reserve's rate decision on Wednesday, with traders widely expecting a 25-basis-point hike, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. On Tuesday, U.S. trading saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average fall for the ninth consecutive day, marking its longest losing streak since 1978. The index dropped 267.58 points, or 0.61%, closing at 43,449.90. The S&P 500 declined 0.39% to 6,050.61, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.32%, finishing at 20,109.06. Commodity Gold prices fell 1% to a near two-week low on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected, but indicated it would slow the pace of future rate reductions. This boosted the dollar and Treasury yields. The Fed also released new projections calling for two quarter-point rate cuts next year, amid rising inflation, signaling a cautious approach as January approaches with Donald Trump returning to the White House. Spot gold dropped 0.9% to $2,622.71 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures fell 0.3% to $2,653.30. Oil prices rose on Wednesday following a decline in U.S. crude inventories and the Fed's quarter-point rate cut. U.S. crude gained 50 cents, or 0.71%, to close at $70.58, while Brent rose 20 cents, or 0.27%, settling at $73.39 per barrel. 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. #Forex #trading #tradingforex