China to safeguard equal treatment for foreign-funded firms

China will safeguard equal treatment for foreign-funded firms, so that more foreign-funded enterprises can invest in the country with confidence and peace of mind, said Commerce Vice Minister Guo Tingting on Monday. China will further expand high-level opening up to the outside world and create more market opportunities, said Guo at the China…

Oil prices tread water after strong week as Fed, c.bank meetings loom

Oil prices moved little in Asian trade on Monday after a strong run-up over the past week, with traders now hunkering down before a string of key central bank meetings this week helmed by the Federal Reserve. The prospect of tighter global supplies pushed oil prices to four-month highs last week, following signs…

Tech pulls down Asia stocks, dollar gains on inflation data

Asian stocks slumped on Friday, tracking tech-led declines on Wall Street overnight after hotter-than-forecast U.S. inflation knocked back bets for how soon and often the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. U.S. benchmark bond yields held near the 4.3% level they reached on Thursday for the first time this month, following their biggest…

Oil prices rise on signs of big US inventory draw, OPEC demand outlook

Oil prices rose in Asian trade on Wednesday, buoyed by industry data showing an unexpected draw in U.S. inventories, while the OPEC also stuck to its forecast of strong demand growth in the coming years. Brent oil futures expiring in May rose 0.5% to $82.28 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures…

Japan’s economy recovering but showing signs of weakness, says BOJ chief Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday the economy is recovering moderately, but said there were some weakness seen in recent data. “We are focusing on whether a positive wage-inflation cycle is kicking off, in judging whether sustainable, stable achievement of our price target is coming into sight,” Ueda told parliament.…

Asian stocks skittish before US inflation cues; China rebounds

Most Asian stocks moved in a flat-to-low range on Thursday in anticipation of more cues on U.S. interest rates from key inflation data, while Chinese markets rebounded from heavy losses in the prior session. Regional markets tracked a middling overnight session on Wall Street, while U.S. stock futures fell in Asian trade as…

US stock futures inch lower ahead of more cues on rates, inflation

U.S. stocks index futures fell slightly in evening deals on Tuesday following a middling session on Wall Street, as focus remained squarely on a barrage of economic readings that are set to offer more cues on monetary policy. A string of Federal Reserve officials are also set to speak in the coming days,…

Dollar firms ahead of busy data week with US inflation in focus

The dollar was on the front foot on Monday ahead of a packed week filled with key economic releases that will provide further clues on the global interest rate outlook, with a U.S. inflation reading taking centre stage. The core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index – the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of…

China’s new home prices extend declines in January

China’s January new home prices fell for the seventh straight month, official data showed on Friday, even as policymakers stepped up support to restore confidence in the debt-ridden sector. New home prices fell 0.3% month-on-month after dipping 0.4% in December, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. Prices…

Oil edges higher, holding to gains made on signs of tighter supply

Oil prices rose slightly on Thursday, holding to gains from the previous session that came amid signs of tighter supply. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) rose 17 cents to $78.08 a barrel for the prompt month. The May contract gained 14 cents to $77.45 a barrel by 0150 GMT. Brent crude…