InvestMacro

On Monday, the Dow Jones (US30) Index rose by 0.11%, the S&P 500 (US500) gained 0.47%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed up 0.94%, setting an all-time high. The US stocks closed higher, driven by a surge in technology shares. Tesla jumped by 3.6% after CEO Elon Musk reported purchasing about $1 billion in stock, his largest open-market purchase ever, while Alphabet gained 4.3%, reaching a $3 trillion valuation and boosting the communication services sector. Nvidia ended the session flat, paring losses after a Chinese regulator stated the company had violated antitrust law, and Texas Instruments fell 2.4% on news of a Chinese anti-dumping investigation into US analog chipmakers. Trade tensions also persisted as President Donald Trump signaled progress in US-China talks, including a potential deal related to TikTok, though risks from tariffs and tech restrictions remain.

The Mexican peso strengthened to 18.4 per US dollar, its strongest level since July 2024, as the US dollar weakened and Mexico’s macroeconomic indicators remained stable, increasing the attractiveness of peso-denominated assets. Banco de México is maintaining a tight policy and signaling careful calibration even amid moderate inflation. Higher real interest rate differentials compared to peer countries, sustained demand for forward markets, and Mexico’s strong trade ties with the US support demand for local securities, limiting capital outflows.

European stock markets were mostly up on Monday. The German DAX (DE40) rose by 0.21%, the French CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.92%, the Spanish IBEX35 (ES35) gained 0.57%, and the British FTSE 100 (UK100) closed down 0.07%. The DAX Index in Frankfurt experienced some volatility. Investors are awaiting decisions from major central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of Canada. The US Central Bank is widely expected to cut rates by at least 25 basis points. Meanwhile, attention remains on France, as Fitch downgraded its credit rating, citing rising public debt and increasing political polarization, which raises concerns about the size of the upcoming budget deficit.

WTI crude oil prices rose nearly 1% to $63.3 per barrel on Monday, extending last week’s gains as traders weighed escalating Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy facilities against expectations of an impending supply surplus. Ukraine launched a major strike with over 360 drones, briefly causing a fire at the 355,000 bpd Kirishi oil refinery, just days after an attack on the Primorsk export terminal, which handles around 1 million bpd. Pressure on Moscow intensified after US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his willingness to impose massive sanctions on Russian oil if NATO allies cease their purchases, which could alter global energy flows.

On Tuesday, silver (XAG/USD) stabilized at around $42.5 per ounce, trading near its 14-year high as investors prepared for an expected US Federal Reserve rate cut this week. Markets are almost fully pricing in a 25 basis point cut on Wednesday, with 67 basis points of cuts projected by the end of the year. President Donald Trump also pressured Fed Chair Jerome Powell for a more significant cut, citing weakness in the housing market. Elsewhere, the central banks of Canada and China are expected to ease policy this week, while the central banks of Japan and the UK are likely to hold theirs unchanged. On the geopolitical front, US-China trade talks in Spain showed progress, and talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, industrial demand from solar energy, electric vehicles, and electronics continues to intensify pressure on the physical silver market, while supply constraints support prices.

Asian markets had a strong day. The Japanese Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 0.89%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) climbed 0.46%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 0.22%, and the Australian ASX 200 (AU200) posted a negative result of 0.13%.

The Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Finance are considering introducing a tax on online gold trading in baht. Officials state the measure will limit gold exports and make holding it in the country more expensive, as the influx of dollars from gold shipments has strengthened the currency. Bank of Thailand representatives will meet with gold traders on Monday to discuss the metal’s impact and stricter reporting requirements.

The US stocks had a mixed close on Friday. The Dow Jones (US30) fell by 0.59% for the day (+0.89% for the week). The S&P 500 (US500) dropped 0.05% (+1.33% for the week), while the tech-heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed up 0.44% (+1.54% for the week). Investors interpreted weak employment data and low inflation as signs that the Federal Reserve would lower interest rates this week. The Nasdaq jumped, driven by a 7.4% surge in Tesla shares and a 1.7% gain in Microsoft after the company avoided a potential EU antitrust fine, lifting the broader tech sector.

European stock markets were mostly down on Friday. The German DAX (DE40) fell 0.02% (-0.31% for the week), the French CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.02% (+1.54% for the week), the Spanish IBEX35 (ES35) dropped 0.08% (+2.86% for the week), and the British FTSE 100 (UK100) closed down 0.15% on Friday (+0.82% for the week). European stocks closed slightly lower on Friday as markets continued to assess the global rate outlook and awaited France’s credit rating from Fitch. At the same time, pharmaceutical stocks across Europe fell after Goldman Sachs downgraded Novartis due to increasing competition from generic brands, causing the company’s shares to drop by 3%, while Roche, AstraZeneca, and GSK all declined by over 1%. On Thursday, the ECB signaled that its easing cycle was complete, with President Lagarde noting that the bank is now in a “good place” and that growth risks appear more balanced.

WTI crude oil prices rose more than 1.5% on Friday. Ukrainian strikes temporarily halted operations at Primorsk, Russia’s main oil-handling port in the Baltic, and hit three pumping stations that supply the Ust-Luga hub. Meanwhile, the US reportedly said it might force G7 allies to impose tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil, and Canada convened a meeting of finance ministers to discuss additional measures. Further pressure comes from the International Energy Agency’s forecast of a record oil supply surplus next year, with OPEC+ planning to bring idle barrels back to the market in October, albeit at a slower pace.

Asian markets had a strong week. The Japanese Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 3.03%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) climbed 1.88%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 3.73%, and the Australian ASX 200 (AU200) posted a positive result of 0.11% last week. Japanese stocks reached new record highs, following gains on Wall Street. In Japan, investors continued to assess the Bank of Japan’s policy direction amid mixed economic signals and political uncertainty. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently announced his resignation, facing increasing pressure after a defeat in last year’s elections and deepening divisions within the ruling party. The Hang Seng rose by about 4%, marking its second consecutive weekly gain, fueled by reports that Beijing may direct state-owned banks to help local governments cover unpaid bills. However, gains were capped by concerns that the US could restrict supplies of Chinese medicines and tighten oversight of licensing deals for experimental drugs. Hong Kong-listed Alibaba jumped 7%, and Baidu surged nearly +4% after both companies began using their self-developed chips to train AI models, reducing their reliance on Nvidia.

China’s economy continues to face numerous risks and challenges, as evidenced by weak August 2025 data amid intensifying global issues. Economic activity was also negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions: the hottest heatwave since 1961 and the longest rainy season during the same period. Industrial production grew by 5.2% year-on-year that month, missing forecasts of 5.8% and marking the slowest growth rate in a year, while retail sales increased by 3.4%, the weakest showing in eight months and below the consensus forecast of 3.8%. The unemployment rate rose to a six-month high of 5.3%, and real estate investment continued to contract, highlighting the sector’s prolonged downturn amid tightening regulations on speculation and debt.

The New Zealand dollar declined to $0.596 on Friday but remained near multi-month highs on a weak US dollar. The US dollar was under pressure as slightly higher US consumer inflation data and a sharp increase in jobless claims maintained expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts next week and beyond. At the same time, on the domestic front, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s dovish forecasts continue to pressure the currency. RBNZ Governor Christian Hawkesby confirmed on Thursday the central bank’s forecast for another 50 basis points of cuts to the official cash rate by the end of the year, with the pace of easing to be determined by incoming data, particularly next week’s GDP report. Meanwhile, fresh data showed that New Zealand’s manufacturing sector contracted again in August, underscoring the economy’s fragile state.

On Thursday, the Dow Jones (US30) Index rose by 0.36%, the S&P 500 (US500) gained 0.85%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq (US100) closed up 0.60%. All three major indices closed at record highs, with expectations that ongoing inflation won’t prevent the Federal Reserve from easing rates next week. The August Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed that consumer prices increased by 0.4% month-over-month, exceeding expectations, but the annual rate held at 2.9%, in line with projections. Signs of a cooling labor market were exacerbated by jobless claims, which rose by 27,000 to 263,000, the highest since 2021. Traders priced in a 93% chance of a quarter-point rate cut at the September 17th Fed meeting, while the odds of a more significant half-point hike increased.

European stock mostly went up on Thursday. The German DAX (DE40) rose by 0.30%, the French CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.80%, the Spanish IBEX35 (ES35) gained 0.68%, and the British FTSE 100 (UK100) closed up 0.78%. Frankfurt’s DAX Index rose on Thursday as investors weighed the expected decision by the European Central Bank (ECB) to hold rates steady. The ECB left its three key interest rates unchanged as expected: the deposit rate at 2.00%, the main refinancing rate at 2.15%, and the marginal lending rate at 2.40%. Inflation remains close to the medium-term 2% target, and the overall outlook is unchanged from June. Among individual stocks, Airbus, Bayer, Heidelberg Materials, Zalando, and Deutsche Bank saw the largest gains, adding between 1% and almost 3%.

Sweden’s annual inflation rate in August 2025 rose to 1.1% from 0.8% in July, confirming preliminary estimates. This is the highest reading since February, although it remains below the Riksbank’s 2% target. On a monthly basis, consumer prices fell by 0.4%, the first decline in five months, reversing the 0.2% increase in July, in line with flash data.

WTI crude oil prices dropped more than 2% to $62.4 per barrel on Thursday, breaking a three-day rally. Concerns over US demand and a global supply surplus outweighed geopolitical risks in the Middle East and Ukraine. The International Energy Agency noted a larger-than-expected increase in supply driven by higher OPEC+ output, and the group itself confirmed plans to boost production from October. Additional pressure came from an unexpected increase of 3.9 million barrels in US crude oil inventories last week.

The US natural gas prices (XNG/USD) fell below the $3/MMBtu mark, nearing a two-week low due to weak LNG export demand and significant storage levels. Government data showed that for the week ending September 5th, storage volume exceeded the expected 71 billion cubic feet, compared to 36 billion cubic feet a year earlier and a five-year average of 56 billion cubic feet. Despite expectations of warmer weather and increased demand, surplus supplies continue to pressure the market.

Silver prices (XAG/USD) rose by 1% on Friday to $42 per ounce, hitting a new 14-year high, as strong expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut next week supported demand. Markets are currently pricing in about a 93% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the September 17th Fed meeting, with the chance of a larger half-percent cut gradually rising. Safe-haven demand further supported precious metals amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Asian markets traded without a single trend yesterday. The Japanese Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 1.22%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) jumped 2.08%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) fell by 0.43%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed down 0.29%.

The offshore yuan weakened to 7.11 per dollar as renewed trade concerns negatively affected sentiment. The US has reportedly urged G7 countries to impose high tariffs – from 50% to 100% – on China and India for their continued purchases of Russian oil. This move is part of a broader Washington effort to pressure Moscow into peace talks over the war in Ukraine. In a separate development, China criticized Mexico’s plan to impose tariffs of up to 50% on vehicles and other imports from countries without free trade agreements, many of which are Chinese, calling the move discriminatory and subject to outside pressure.