Today's News Update - 18th Nov 2024 Asia Asian markets were mixed on Friday Investors digested economic data from China and Japan. In China, October retail sales rose more than expected, but industrial production and investment missed forecasts. The urban unemployment rate improved to 5% from 5.1% in September. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.04%, while mainland China's CSI 300 fell 1.75%. Japan’s third-quarter GDP grew 0.3% year-on-year, reversing two quarters of decline. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.28%, while the Topix gained 0.39%. The yen strengthened slightly to 156.19 against the dollar. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.74%. US In the U.S., all three major indexes declined, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.47%. The S&P 500 dropped 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.64%. "Trump trades" lost momentum as the market rally slowed. Tesla slid 5.8%, and the small-cap Russell 2000 index fell over 1%, underperforming the broader market. Commodity Gold prices were on track for their biggest weekly drop in over three years on Friday, as expectations of slower interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve boosted the dollar, reducing gold’s appeal. Spot gold fell 0.1% to $2,562.59 per ounce, down more than 4% for the week and hitting its lowest level since September 12. U.S. gold futures dropped 0.2% to $2,567.20. Crude oil futures also posted weekly losses, pressured by concerns over a potential supply glut and a stronger dollar. U.S. crude fell nearly 5% this week, while Brent declined almost 4%. 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