Hong Kong Index reached the maximum for 19 weeks. European indices are declining amid weak corporate reports

The Dow Jones Index (US30) fell by 1.01% on Thursday. The S&P 500 Index (US500) was down 0.43%. The Nasdaq Technology Index (US100) fell by 0.48%. Despite beating earnings expectations, Walmart’s cautious outlook for fiscal year 2026 caused the company’s stock to fall 6.5%, pulling down other retailers such as Target (-2%) and Costco (-2.6%). Investor sentiment deteriorated further when Palantir’s shares fell 5.3% amid reports of impending Pentagon budget cuts and a new divestment plan by its CEO.

Banxico minutes signaled cautious easing amid global uncertainty. The minutes revealed that several board representatives expected a 50bp rate cut at the March 27 meeting if disinflation continues, signaling a potential acceleration in the easing cycle.

Equity markets in Europe were mostly falling on Thursday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) was down 0.53%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.15%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) added 0.29%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed negative 0.57%. European stocks closed mostly lower on Thursday amid mixed corporate earnings data, while markets continued to assess the impact of potential trade barriers from the US and increased defense spending from EU members. Airbus lost 2.3% after reporting pessimistic results and saying it may have to postpone deliveries to the US to focus on other customers if the US government continues to impose tariffs. At the same time, Mercedes Benz reported a 40% drop in sales of its automotive division in 2024. On the other hand, Schneider Electric jumped 3% after it posted record sales and earnings in 2024 and also provided strong expectations for 2025.

WTI crude oil prices rose to $73 a barrel on Thursday on the back of a weaker dollar and continued risks of supply cuts. OPEC+ delegates said they may postpone supply increases, citing concerns over market volatility as cartel members have previously failed to cut production to target levels. On the other hand, the latest EIA data showed that US crude inventories rose by 4.6 million barrels in the second week of February, exceeding market expectations for a 3 million barrel increase, and marking the fourth consecutive increase in inventories.

Asian markets were mostly down on Thursday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) decreased by 1.24%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) was down 0.10%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) lost 1.60% and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was negative 1.15%. Alibaba’s stock price rose more than 9% to a 3-year high after the company reported its strongest revenue growth in more than a year. The Hang Seng Index hit its highest in 19 weeks on Friday, kicking off its sixth consecutive week of gains and marking its longest winning streak in nearly a year, up about 2% thus far. Enthusiasm for China’s artificial intelligence sector, especially after the emergence of DeepSeek, continues to boost sentiment. Meanwhile, Beijing this week encouraged foreign companies to invest in the Chinese stock market, expecting foreign capital to encourage long-term investment.

The Australian dollar rose to around $0.64 on Friday, hitting its highest level in ten weeks, as strong economic data bolstered expectations of a more gradual easing cycle from the Reserve Bank of Australia. The data showed that private sector growth in Australia continued for the fifth consecutive month in February, with both manufacturing and services sectors maintaining positive momentum.

The offshore yuan slid to 7.24 per dollar despite the People’s Bank of China pledging to support the currency amid mounting pressure from a strengthening US dollar. In an attempt to stabilize the yuan, the PBOC has pledged to increase cross-border use of the currency and expand the offshore yuan market.

Malaysia’s annual inflation rate in January 2025 stood at 1.7%, unchanged for the second consecutive month and in line with market estimates. The rate remains the lowest in the past eleven months. Core consumer prices, excluding volatile fresh food and administrative expenses, rose by 1.8% y/y in January after rising 1.6% in December. On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose by 0.1%, maintaining the same pace as in December.