Indices

South African rand muted as traders eye possible 'grey' list exit

JOHANNESBURG -The rand was flat in early trade on Thursday, as cautious investors awaited news on South Africa's possible removal from the Financial Action Task Force's grey list, along with key U.S....

South Africa's Clicks Group reports 14% rise in annual profit

JOHANNEBSURG -Clicks Group, South Africa's biggest pharmacy chain, said on Thursday that its full-year profit grew 14.1%, supported by improved trading margins and robust sales. The...

Foreign investors pile into Japan stocks ahead of historic PM vote

Foreigners channelled investments into Japanese stocks for a third consecutive week ended October 18 in anticipation of a victory for fiscal dove Sanae Takaichi at the parliamentary vote to become...

US hits top Russian oil companies with sanctions, EU bans Russian LNG

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia for the first time in his second term, targeting oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft as his...

Exxon inks agreement with Gabon to explore for oil and gas

HOUSTON -Exxon Mobil said on Wednesday it signed an agreement with the government of Gabon to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the central African country.  The memorandum of...

Angola's first major copper mine to start production next week

LUANDA -Angola's first major copper mine, Tetelo, will start production on October 29, officials said on Wednesday, part of the oil-rich African country's efforts to diversify into clean energy...

Russia says its assumes that new gold producer UGC owner will buy out small investors

MOSCOW -A Russian government official said on Wednesday that Moscow assumed that the new owner of gold producer UGC would have to conduct a buyout of minority shareholders after the central bank...

Trump says he expects to reach deal with China on trade, soybeans, possibly nuclear arms

WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he expected to reach agreements with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in South Korea next week that could range from resumed...

South Africa inflation edges up but economists see more rate cuts soon

JOHANNESBURG -South Africa's headline inflation rate edged up in September, but the increase was smaller than expected and economists said they thought the central bank could restart interest rate...

European utilities set for longest winning streak since 1998

MILAN -European utilities stocks extended this month's rally into a 14th day on Wednesday, heading for their longest winning streak since a record 15-day run in March 1998. Investor...

Russia says it has no plans to confiscate EU assets for now, but is monitoring EU's own actions

MOSCOW -Russia has no plans to seize any European assets, including companies and banks, but is ready to review this position if the European Union confiscates frozen Russian sovereign assets, a...

Nuclear power at heart of new Japan prime minister's energy policy

TOKYO -Japan's new prime minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to push for the accelerated revival of nuclear power to tackle inflation, a source of public discontent, with reactor restarts key to...

DBS expects Singapore GDP to double by 2040, Singapore dollar parity with greenback

SINGAPORE -DBS Group Research on Wednesday said it expects Singapore's gross domestic product to double by 2040, with the state's benchmark Straits Times Index nearing 10,000 and the Singapore dollar...

Yen climbs as gold plunge triggers market volatility

SINGAPORE -The U.S. dollar weakened in early Asian trade on Wednesday, edging back from its highest level against the Japanese yen in a week, as a tumble in gold prices triggered a rebalancing across...

India nears deal to slash US tariffs on Indian imports to 15%-16%, Mint reports

India and the United States are nearing a long-stalled trade agreement that would reduce U.S. tariffs on Indian imports to 15% to 16% from 50%, India's Mint reported on Wednesday citing three people...

Trading Day: Stocks' momentum fades, gold plunges

ORLANDO, Florida -U.S. stocks were mixed on Tuesday, with the global momentum that had lifted Japanese and several other indices to new highs fizzling out, as investors digested a sharp fall in gold...

Gold retreats after record rally, on track for biggest daily drop since 2020

Gold prices were on track for their steepest daily fall in five years on Tuesday, as investors booked profits after expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts and sustained safe-haven demand drove the...

South Africa's Transnet plans $7 billion of infrastructure upgrades

JOHANNESBURG -South Africa's state-owned freight and logistics company Transnet plans to invest 127 billion rand over five years in modernizing rail lines and upgrading ports, its Chief Executive...

Global investors like the new-look Japan government, for now

SINGAPORE/LONDON/NEW YORK -Global money managers are circling back to Japan's stock and debt markets, drawn by the promises of its new reflationist government and a desire to diversify from pricier...