Asian stocks rallied, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng surging over9% as markets reacted positively to China's stimulus announcements. Mainland Chinese markets remain closed for Golden Week celebrations until October 7. Vietnamese and Japanese indices head to lower close as tensions in the Middle East escalate.
Global hedge funds flocked to Chinese equities following Beijing's stimulus measures, with the strongest weekly buying on record according to Goldman Sachs.
Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, its biggest military assault on the Jewish state, raising fears of wider regional conflict. Israel vowed to retaliate, promising a "painful response."
Oil prices jumped on Middle East tensions. Brent crude rose 0.77% to $74.94/barrel, while WTI gained 0.75% to $71.27/barrel. An OPEC+ panel meets today to review the market. Natgas is flat today and consolidates on key levels.
South Korea's consumer inflation cooled more than forecast in September, rising 1.6% year-on-year, below the central bank's 2% target for the first time since early 2021.
Japan's newly appointed economy minister, Ryosei Akazawa, stated the government expects the Bank of Japan to make careful economic assessments when considering further interest rate hikes.
Japan's Consumer Confidence Index fell short of expectations, rising by just 0.2 points in September, reaching 36.9, according to a report from the Cabinet Office. This decline reflects a decrease in consumer sentiment as the overall livelihood index fell by 0.3 points to 34.4.
U.S. East and Gulf Coast dockworkers continued their first large-scale strike in nearly 50 years, halting about half of the country's ocean shipping.
The vice presidential debate between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance was surprisingly civil, with candidates focusing criticisms on their running mates rather than each other.
A new tropical depression off Mexico's southern Pacific coast is expected to strengthen, threatening fresh flooding and landslides in areas recently hit by devastating rainfall.
EURUSD is 0.1% lower, silver has lost 0.7% and gold is down 0.36% currently remaining all-time-high. Cryptocurrency market tries to bounce back after yesterday’s drop; currently Bitcoin is up 0.44% today and Ethereum is trading 0.4% higher.