Today's News Update - 27th Dec 2024 Asia Asia-Pacific stocks mostly rose Thursday, with some markets closed for Boxing Day. Japan's Nikkei gained 1.12% and the Topix 1.20%, buoyed by a record $735 billion budget and inflation forecasts. The yen strengthened, and bond yields rose. Nissan and Honda shares jumped on merger talks, while Japan Airlines dropped after a cyberattack. China's CSI 300 edged up after the World Bank upgraded its GDP forecast to 4.9% for 2024. Alibaba’s potential merger with E-Mart boosted E-Mart shares by 5.45%. US Stocks dropped on Thursday, as the market gave back some of its holiday week gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 135 points, marking its first decline in five sessions. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both slipped 0.3%. The market was closed on Wednesday for Christmas Day. After several consecutive gains, the major indices experienced their first down day of the week. The S&P 500 is still up 1.6% for the week, while the Dow has gained 0.8%. The Nasdaq has risen 2.1% so far, driven by strong performance in megacap tech stocks. Commodity Gold prices climbed on Thursday in light holiday trading, as markets awaited guidance on the Federal Reserve's 2025 rate strategy and potential tariff policies under the incoming Trump administration. Spot gold increased by 0.5% to $2,627.62 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures gained 0.3% to $2,642.30. Oil prices also edged up in thin holiday trading, supported by expectations of additional fiscal stimulus in China, the world’s largest oil importer, and an industry report showing a decline in U.S. crude inventories. Brent crude rose 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $73.83 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude added 39 cents, or 0.6%, to $70.49 from Tuesday’s pre-Christmas settlement. 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