A mixed session in Asia (Nikkei +2.9% and Shanghai -2.4%) left just the HSI as the deciding factor and that closed stronger at +1.1%. Europe and the U.S. futures were all pricing in a stronger open and until mid-day (Europe) that was pretty much business as usual. Yes, we did see a turn in the […]

With Japan closed (Coming of Age Day) we were forced, yet again, to watch the excitement unfold on the Chinese exchange. Most of the talk was on the foreign exchange market where the off-shore currency quote (CNH) saw a huge jump (940bp) on the Hong Kong overnight quote to a 6.5850 (last seen +1.5% against […]

For the second time this week, China’s stock exchange saw a closing due to limit down (7% move). It happened early in the day (actually, only half an hour into the trading day) which spread an uneasy tension to the Nikkei and Heng Seng. The Nikkei lost 2.33% (as the JPY strengthened), whilst the HSI […]

Asia started weak (again), not China, but the Nikkei (-1%) and HSI (-1%). China actually performed better (+2.27%) with dealers quoting the off-shore FX weakness as a consequence. The yuan (off-shore) lost around 1% to close at a low of 6.7315 (a five-year record low). Obviously, North Korea’s claim that it has successfully carried out […]

Certainly, the markets were a lot more sedate today than they were on the first day of 2016! All eyes were on China after yesterday’s exchange close and initially, we did see a rather depressed (-2.6%) open, but only to recover within minutes. Most of the day was spent in and out of the red […]

What a start to the New Year! Talk around the street voiced a few reasons for today’s stock market declines from geopolitical tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran to additional dealing costs associated to playing the markets. Discussions are apparently underway across the globe to address market orders, the way in which orders are placed, […]

The ISM purchasing managers’ index for the manufacturing sector in December 2015 in the USA has plummeted to its lowest level since June of 2009. This warns that the U.S. economy is entering a recession that is in line with the forecast of the ECM and the rise in the dollar. However, keep in mind […]

QUESTION: Dear Mr Armstrong, Thank you EVER SO MUCH for everything that you do even for ordinary folks like me who are not traders but just want to have a good grasp of where to put their money. I have already learnt a great deal by merely following your blog throughout the last two years, and […]

It was a very dull day to finish 2015, but not really surprising given the performance we have seen for the year. Shanghai has finished the year up 9.4%, but it was the smaller Shenzhen Composite with a YTD gain of 63.2% that was the shining star. The Nikkei added to its annual gain by […]

Asia finished a mixed session with gains in Shanghai (+0.25%) and Japan (+0.27%), countered with a small decline in the HSI (-0.53%). For Japan, today was the last trading day for 2015 and returned a yearly gain of just over 9%. European core indices fell across the spectrum with losses for DAX (-1.08%), CAC (-0.52%), […]