Today's News Update - 24th Dec 2024 Asia Asia-Pacific markets began the holiday-shortened Christmas week on a strong note. Japan's Nikkei 225 increased by 1.19%, reaching 39,161.34, while the Topix gained 0.92%, closing at 2,726.74. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose by 1.67%, finishing at 8,201.6. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index climbed 0.74% during its final hour of trading, while mainland China's CSI 300 edged up by 0.15%, closing at 3,933.57. US The S&P 500 advanced on Monday to kick off a holiday-shortened trading week, with sustained strength in technology stocks bolstering the broader market. The large-cap index gained 0.4%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.8%, driven by gains of at least 2% in Tesla, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, falling by 65 points. Trading activity is expected to remain subdued throughout the week. The New York Stock Exchange will close early at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday for Christmas Eve, and the market will be closed on Christmas Day. Commodity Gold prices ticked down on Monday in quiet holiday-season trading, pressured by a strong dollar and elevated U.S. Treasury yields, as investors awaited clearer signals regarding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy for 2025. Spot gold declined by 0.4%, to $2,611.17 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures settled 0.6% lower at $2,628.20. Oil prices also dipped on Monday amid concerns over a potential supply surplus in the coming year and the strengthening dollar, with trading volumes subdued ahead of the Christmas holiday. Brent crude futures fell by 91 cents, or 1.25%, to $72.03 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped 80 cents, or 1.15%, to $68.66 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