By Ritu, Capital Sands Asian stocks rose in morning trade on Tuesday after the U.S. dropped China’s currency manipulator label, saying that it has made “enforceable commitments” not to devalue the yuan. China’s Shanghai Composite inched up 0.1%, while the Shenzhen Component gained 0.3%. “China has made enforceable commitments to refrain from competitive devaluation, while promoting transparency and accountability. […]

USD/JPY Technical Analysis: Weekly close beyond 109.70/75 will be a call to bulls

By Ritu, Capital Sands USD/JPY trades positive near the two-week high, on a five-day winning streak. Bullish engulfing on the weekly chart confronts 109.48/52 resistance confluence. 200-week SMA adds to the resistance. USD/JPY takes the bids to 109.55 during the initial trading session on Friday. In doing so, the pair registers a bullish candlestick formation on the […]

Safe-haven currencies retreat as U.S., Iran seen defusing crisis

By Ritu, Capital Sands The Japanese yen and Swiss franc retreated on Thursday as the United States and Iran backed away from the brink of further conflict in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump responded overnight to an Iranian attack on U.S. forces with sanctions, not violence. Iran offered no immediate signal it would […]

Swiss franc holds gains, yen steady as traders eye Iran

By Ritu, Capital Sands The Swiss franc held gains against the dollar on Tuesday as traders sought save-havens amid heightened anxiety about potential Iranian retaliation to a U.S. drone strike that killed its most prominent military commander. The yen, another safe-haven currency, pulled back from a three-month high versus the dollar, but sentiment remains fragile […]

Asian Markets Fall Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions, Trade War Uncertainties

By Ritu Capital Sands Asian equities traded mostly lower in morning trade on Monday amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and uncertainties surrounding the singing of the Sino-U.S. phase one trade deal. China’s Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component both gained 0.4%. Sino-U.S. trade developments remained in focus. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a […]

Brent jumps nearly $3 after U.S. air strike kills Iran, Iraq officials

By Ritu, Capital Sands Brent crude futures jumped close to $3 on Friday to their highest since September after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi military personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil supplies. Brent crude futures  jumped nearly $3 to hit a high of $69.16 a barrel, […]

European shares falter as year-end rally fades

By Ritu, Capital Sands European shares looked set to end the decade with a whimper on Tuesday as investors locked in gains after a record rally that was fueled by optimism around trade and easing fears of a global recession. In a shortened session ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations, the pan-European STOXX 600 […]

Oil price rise muted in 2019 despite sanctions, supply cuts, attack in Saudi Arabia

By Ritu, Capital Sands Oil prices rose more than 20% this year but there were no sharp spikes and crude futures barely sniffed $70 a barrel despite attacks on the world’s biggest oil producer, sanctions that crippled crude exports of two OPEC members and gigantic supply cuts from big oil producing countries. The price gains […]