Today's News Update - 14th Oct 2024 Asia China stocks led declines in Asia-Pacific markets on Friday. Mainland China's CSI 300 blue chip index fell 2.77% to close at 3,887.17, ending the week down 3.25%. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.57% to finish at 39,605.8, bolstered by the financial and healthcare sectors, while the broader Topix index decreased 0.24% to close at 2,706.2. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.1% to 8,214.5. Markets in Hong Kong were closed Friday for a public holiday. US In the U.S., the S&P 500 fell 0.21% to close at 5,780.05, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased 0.14% to finish at 42,454.12. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.05% to end at 18,282.05. The consumer price index increased by 0.2% month-over-month, bringing annual inflation to 2.4%, up from the previous year. These figures exceeded expectations of a 0.1% monthly rise and a 2.3% year-over-year increase, according to a Reuters poll. Although the annual inflation rate is the lowest since February 2021, it has raised concerns that the Federal Reserve may slow the pace of future interest rate cuts. Commodity Gold prices increased on Friday following U.S. inflation data that reinforced expectations for rate cuts this year, keeping the dollar below recent highs. Additionally, safe-haven demand driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East supported bullion prices. Spot gold rose 1% to $2,656.09 per ounce, marking a second consecutive session of gains, while U.S. gold futures climbed 1.3% to $2,674.40. U.S. crude oil also recorded its second weekly gain as Israel prepares to retaliate against Iran. Both the U.S. benchmark and global Brent crude rose by more than 1% this week. Oil prices have surged over 10% since Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel last week. 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