Today's News Update - 19th April 2024 Asia On Thursday, Asia-Pacific markets displayed a strong rebound. Investors in the Asia-Pacific region focused on Australia's economic data, particularly the unemployment rate, which influences the country's central bank decisions on monetary policy. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.48%, breaking a five-day losing streak, as the country's unemployment rate for March slightly increased to 3.8%, lower than the 3.9% anticipated by Reuters. Japan's Nikkei 225 index also turned positive after initial losses, closing 0.31% higher at 38,079, ending a three-day downtrend. The broader Topix index advanced by 0.54% to 2,677.45. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index climbed by 1%, and the mainland Chinese CSI 300 index traded up by 0.12%, closing at 3,569.8. US The S&P 500 extended its decline for a fifth consecutive day on Thursday, marking its longest losing streak since October last year. The broad index slipped by 0.22% to reach 5,011.12, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped by 0.52% to 15,601.50. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 22.07 points or 0.06%, closing at 37,775.38, just above its flatline for the year 2024. Throughout the week, the S&P 500 experienced intraday rallies into positive territory, only to retreat and end the day in negative territory. Commodity Crude oil futures were mixed Thursday after a selloff earlier in the week as traders discounted fears of a war between Israel and Iran that could disrupt crude supplies. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery added 4 cents, or 0.05%, to settle at $82.73 a barrel. Safe-haven gold gained on Thursday as persistent tensions in the Middle East added to the metal’s appeal despite robust economic data from the U.S. that raised prospects of fewer interest rate cuts. Spot gold gained 0.9% at $2,382.09 per ounce. Prices touched an all-time high of $2,431.29 last Friday. 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