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Commentary

Thu, Apr 09, 2026 02:49 PM All times are UTC

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RBA rate cut a close call, highlights Board meeting minutes

May 17, 2016 04:59 am UTC| Commentary

The Reserve Bank of Australia minutes of the Board meeting highlighted that the decision of the central bank to ease interest rates is a close call. Further, insights have been gained behind the decision to lower the...

US home sales and construction activity to continue growing, existing homes sales likely improved in April

May 17, 2016 04:56 am UTC| Commentary

The US NAHB Market Index in May stayed at 58 for the fourth straight time. Consensus forecast was for a slight increase to 59. Prospective buyers traffic and present single family sales stayed the same at 44 and 63...

Guide to today’s important data and events

May 17, 2016 04:42 am UTC| Commentary

Lots of economic dockets scheduled for today and some with high risks associated. Data released so far Australia New motor vehicle sales declined -2.5% in April, still up 2.4% from a year back. New Zealand ...

Asian markets mix, Gold back above $1280

May 17, 2016 03:47 am UTC| Commentary

Major Asian indices are trading on a mix note on Tuesday morning. On the other side, Japanese Yen hovers around 109.00 marks against US dollar and Gold gains in early and trading back around $1280. Japans Nikkei 225...

Indonesia’s trade balance narrowed significantly in April

May 16, 2016 15:58 pm UTC| Commentary

Indonesias trade surplus unexpectedly widened in April as imports posted a larger than expected contraction. The trade surplus of USD670m over April is higher than Marchs USD497mn surplus and significantly higher than the...

Weak wage price index could intensify expectations for a RBA June rate cut

May 16, 2016 15:38 pm UTC| Commentary

The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate to a record 1.75 per cent at its recent monthly board meeting, and analysts expect it could be heading towards one per cent before the end of the year. Minutes of the May...

Can Japan escape technical recession in Q1?

May 16, 2016 14:36 pm UTC| Commentary

It will be an important week for Japan as the first estimates of first quarter GDP growth are published on Wednesday. Gross domestic product was seen to have expanded at an annualised rate of 0.2% in January-March,...

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Economy

Goldman Sachs, ANZ Cut Oil Forecasts Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes

Brent crude oil prices have tumbled more than 11% this week after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, raising hopes that the Strait of Hormuz one of the worlds most critical oil shipping lanes ...

Bank of Japan Governor Signals Accommodative Stance Amid Negative Real Rates

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed on Thursday that Japans real interest rates remain firmly in negative territory, signaling that the countrys financial conditions continue to support economic growth. His...

Japan Consumer Confidence Drops Sharply Amid Rising Fuel Costs and Middle East Tensions

Japans consumer confidence took a significant hit in March, declining for the first time in three months as escalating fuel costs linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict continued to weigh heavily on the countrys...

China Set to Exit Deflation Cycle in Early 2026, ANZ Analysts Say

China may be closer to ending its prolonged deflationary period than financial markets currently anticipate, according to a recent note from ANZ analysts. The bank projects that three key price indicators the producer...

Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Ceasefire Doubts Weigh on Markets

Asian currencies showed little movement on Thursday following strong gains in the prior session, as investor caution mounted over the stability of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal amid escalating Middle East tensions. The U.S....

Politics

Trump Warns Iran: No Deal Means Military Action as U.S. Forces Hold Position

President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Iran on Wednesday, declaring that all U.S. military assets including ships, aircraft, and personnel would remain stationed in the region until a formal agreement with Tehran...

U.S. Pushes for Crypto Regulation to Keep Digital Asset Growth at Home

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling on Congress to pass landmark federal cryptocurrency legislation, warning that regulatory uncertainty is pushing blockchain innovation and investment out of the United States. In...

North Korea Tests Advanced Cluster Bombs, Electromagnetic Weapons in Latest Military Display

North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests this week, showcasing cutting-edge military technology including cluster-bomb warheads, electromagnetic weapons, and carbon-fibre bombs, according to state media outlet...

Trump Pardon Clears Juan Orlando Hernández as U.S. Court Dismisses Drug Conviction Appeal

A U.S. federal appeals court has dismissed the case against former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, vacating his prior conviction following a presidential pardon granted by Donald Trump in December. The...

Taiwan Defense Budget: U.S. Senator Urges Legislature to Pass Spending Plan

Republican Senator Jim Banks visited Taipei and delivered a direct message to Taiwans President Lai Ching-te: the islands parliament must stop stalling and approve a proposed special defense budget. Banks, a member of the...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Bank of America Identifies Top Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Stocks Poised for AI-Driven Growth

Bank of America has spotlighted a select group of Asia-Pacific semiconductor companies well-positioned to ride the wave of surging artificial intelligence chip demand, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company...

China's AI Stocks Surge as Zhipu and MiniMax Hit Record Highs

Chinese artificial intelligence stocks continued their remarkable rally on Thursday, with Zhipu AI and MiniMax Group posting strong gains in Hong Kong trading as a wave of new model launches and product announcements...

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Posts Strong Q3 Earnings, Announces AI-Driven Job Cuts

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank delivered an impressive financial performance in its third quarter, reporting a 12.8% surge in cash earnings to A$137.9 million for the three months ending March 31. The result came in roughly 12%...

Alibaba Shares Slide as Jefferies Slashes Price Target Over AI Spending and Business Losses

Alibabas Hong Kong-listed shares (HK:9988) dropped 2.9% to HK$122.70 on Thursday, emerging as one of the heaviest drags on the Hang Seng Index, which closed 0.6% lower. The selloff came after investment bank Jefferies...

Anthropic Fights Pentagon Blacklisting in Dual Federal Court Battles

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has refused to halt the Pentagons national security blacklisting of AI company Anthropic, delivering a temporary win for the Trump administration. The ruling comes as another...