Tuesday 18th February: Apple’s warning drives markets lower

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Global Markets:

  • Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 1.40%, Shanghai Composite down 0.04%, Hang Seng down 1.42%, ASX down 0.16%
  • Commodities : Gold at $1588.25 (+0.12%), Silver at $17.81 (+0.44%), Brent Oil at $57.09 (-1.01%), WTI Oil at $51.98 (-0.65%)
  • Rates : US 10-year yield at 1.558, UK 10-year yield at 0.642, Germany 10-year yield at -0.400

News & Data:

  • (CAD) Foreign Securities Purchases -9.57B vs 4.82B expected
  • (JPY) Revised Industrial Production m/m 1.20% vs 1.30% expected
  • (CNY) Foreign Direct Investment ytd/y 4.00% vs 5.80% previous
  • (CNY) Foreign Direct Investment ytd/y 5.80% vs 6.00% previous
  • (GBP) Rightmove HPI m/m 0.80% vs 2.30% previous
  • China To Receive Applications For Tariff Exemptions For Imports From The US
  • RBA Reviewed Further Rate-Cut Case, Worried About Borrowing

Markets Update:

Asian stock markets are mostly lower on Tuesday in the absence of fresh cues from Wall Street, which was closed overnight for a public holiday, and as tech giant Apple warned it does not expect to achieve its revenue forecast for the March quarter due to disruptions in China from the coronavirus. Shares of Apple suppliers in Asian are notably lower.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was down 1.4%. Over in mainland China, shares were see-sawing. The Shanghai composite declined 0.1%, while the Shenzhen component gained 0.7%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.4%, following the previous day’s losses.

The Topix fell around 1.3%. The Australian market is modestly lower in the absence of cues from Wall Street and as investors digested mostly weak corporate earnings results from major companies.

Oil prices fell on Tuesday morning during Asia hours. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was last at 99.170, rising from levels earlier in the week. Safe-haven gold also rose to its two-week high of $1,588 per ounce.

Upcoming Events:

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  • 10:00 AM GMT – (EUR) German ZEW Economic Sentiment
  • 01:30 PM GMT – (CAD) Manufacturing Sales m/m