On Tuesday morning (29 July, 9:23 AM, GMT+7, Bangkok time), most indices in Asia Pacific exhibited a downward trend as investors kept a close eye on the U.S.-China trade negotiations and braced for the Federal Reserve’s upcoming policy decision, slated to be announced on Wednesday stateside.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday fresh plans for a potential 15% to 20% baseline tariffs on imports from countries without trade pacts with Washington. The move is expected to take effect on August 1.
Japan’s NIKKEI declined by 0.7% to 40,710.7. Australia’s ASX 200 slid by 0.25% to 8,676.1, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed by 0.05% to 3,211.02.
As for stocks in China, Shanghai’s SSEC dipped by 0.05% to 3,596.1. Hong Kong’s HSI contracted by 0.95% to 25,320.52, and Shenzhen’s SZI fell by 0.48% to 11,163.24.
The U.S. stock markets edged up on Monday as NASDAQ rose by 0.33% to 21,178.58. S&P 500 grew by 0.02% to 6,389.77, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) decreased by 0.14% to 44,837.56. VIX added 0.67% to 15.03.
As for commodities, oil prices settled higher on Monday, fueled by the announcement of a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, alongside President Donald Trump’s declaration that Russia faces a shortened timeline to conclude the conflict in Ukraine or contend with new sanctions. Brent futures gained $1.60 or 2.3% to $70.04 a barrel, and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) surged $1.55 or 2.4% to $66.71 per barrel.
This morning, Brent futures expanded 5 cents or 0.07% to $70.09 a barrel, and the WTI futures edged up 2 cents or 0.03% to $66.73 per barrel.
Meanwhile, gold futures increased by 0.2% to $3,316.6 per Troy ounce.