EUR/USD
1.16181
-0.024%
Gold
4526.12
-0.430%
Oil
102.829
1.833%
USD/JPY
158.939
0.109%
GBP/USD
1.33103
-0.058%
GBP/JPY
211.557
0.051%
Real-time News
On May 18th, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Head of Research at Philips Securities Japan, stated that at current yield levels, foreign investors may find it easier to buy Japanese government bonds, and he wouldnt be surprised if domestic investors sold foreign bonds and bought Japanese government bonds instead. He said, "From an exchange rate perspective, foreign capital inflows into Japanese bonds could lead to a stronger yen, which could put some pressure on the Japanese stock market." Rising long-term Japanese government bond yields mean that policy rates may rise, which would be a negative factor for the stock market. If interest rates rise too quickly, it will have a significant negative impact on the stock market. This cautious sentiment is intensifying against the backdrop of inflation concerns triggered by rising oil prices.May 18th - Despite the Middle East conflict driving up energy and living costs, Thailands economy unexpectedly accelerated in the first quarter, demonstrating surprising resilience. Thailands National Economic and Social Development Council (NEDC) said on Monday that the countrys GDP grew by 2.8% year-on-year in the quarter ending March, exceeding expectations. In a statement, the council said that Thailands better-than-expected growth was driven by improved government spending, investment, and exports, while private consumption remained stable. This growth means that Thailand, a perennially lagging economy, is growing at a rate comparable to the Philippines first-quarter growth. However, its growth rate still lags behind other Southeast Asian economies such as Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.On May 18th, at 00:21, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Liunan District, Liuzhou City, Guangxi Province, with a focal depth of 8 kilometers. A second earthquake of magnitude 3.3 occurred at 07:41. As Guangxi is an important source of zinc raw materials, according to SMM, the earthquake has not affected the production of zinc smelters, and all enterprises are operating normally.On May 18th, Fu Linghui, spokesperson, chief economist, and director of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the National Economic Bureau, stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the booming cultural tourism and sports events have become new highlights in the development of service consumption, with related service retail sales maintaining rapid growth. Data shows that from January to April, retail sales of tourism consulting and rental services, transportation services, and cultural and sports leisure services all maintained double-digit growth, significantly faster than the overall growth rate of service retail sales.May 18 - According to Lebanese sources on the 18th, between midnight on the 17th and early morning on the 18th, the Israeli Defense Forces used missiles to attack a building in the suburbs of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, killing Wael Abdul Halim, a commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and his daughter. Search and rescue teams are currently at the scene looking for survivors.
