Huanyao Fang

TradingKey - U.S. non-farm payrolls saw a net decrease of 92,000 in February, far missing expectations and marking the second monthly contraction since 2020. Simultaneously, the unemployment rate climbed to 4.4%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised down previous figures by a total of 69,000.

TradingKey - On March 9, Asia-Pacific stock markets slumped collectively. South Korea's market triggered circuit breakers again during intraday trading, while the Nikkei 225 Index plunged over 7%, falling more than 4,000 points. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell over 5% intraday, and both Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh Index dropped by more than 4%.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session, silver faced a market sell-off driven by a strengthening US dollar and market risk appetite. After the open, prices plunged as much as 5.6% before staging a sharp reversal to gain over 0.4%, with intraday volatility exceeding 6%. Gold, also a precious metal, similarly experienced an opening sell-off, dropping nearly 3% at one point.

TradingKey - Data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Friday showed that February nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly decreased by 92,000, far below the market expectation of a 59,000 increase. The previous figure was revised down from a 130,000 gain to 126,000, while December's data was also sharply revised down from an increase of 48,000 to a decrease of 17,000. This implies that nearly half of the employment growth from the past two months has been wiped out.

TradingKey - The three major US stock index futures dived collectively, with Nasdaq futures falling over 0.5% intraday, Dow futures down more than 0.3%, and S&P 500 futures declining 0.46%.

TradingKey - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release February non-farm payroll data at 8:30 AM ET on March 6. This release comes at a juncture caught in the pendulum of Middle East geopolitical conflicts and the "AI disruption" narrative, as market capital remains cautious.

TradingKey - Impacted by the situation in the Middle East, global oil prices have seen a rapid surge. As of now, crude oil prices have reached $80 per barrel. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva stated that if energy prices rise by 10% and persist for a year, global inflation would increase by 40 basis points, while economic growth would slow by 0.1% to 0.2%.

TradingKey - At 8:30 AM ET, U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending February 28 were 213,000, compared to an expected 215,000. In pre-market trading, the three major U.S. stock index futures reversed earlier gains to trade lower. Dow Jones futures fell more than 0.5%, S&P 500 futures edged down nearly 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 futures declined over 0.2%.

TradingKey — Recently, the AI sector has experienced significant volatility driven by risk-off sentiment and concerns over an AI bubble. However, a prominent investor long active in the tech sector has chosen to increase positions against the market trend.

TradingKey - Pre-market on March 5, Eastern Time, Dow Jones futures weakened slightly, down approximately 0.09%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures edged higher as sentiment in the technology sector remained relatively stable. Index futures saw limited volatility, though market risk appetite remains cautious.

TradingKey - According to Bloomberg, the Bank of Japan is leaning toward keeping interest rates unchanged at its March policy meeting amid rising geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East, though it has not ruled out a potential rate hike in April. Officials are closely monitoring the potential impact of an escalation in the Middle East on energy prices, global financial markets, and Japan's economic outlook.

TradingKey — Recently, Donald Trump pressured Congress to advance the "CLARITY Act" following a meeting with the CEO of Coinbase. Boosted by this news, Bitcoin (BTC) rose to approximately $71,900, successfully breaking out of its recent trading range after a period of volatility.

TradingKey - Gold and silver prices witnessed a deep V-shaped reversal during the Asian trading session. Earlier, Bloomberg reports suggested that the Bank of Japan is leaning toward maintaining interest rates at its March policy meeting, while not ruling out the possibility of a rate hike in April. Following this news, gold prices briefly turned negative during intraday trading.

TradingKey - Major Hong Kong stock indices fluctuated during Thursday’s Asian trading session. The Hang Seng Index and the Hang Seng Tech Index rose by more than 1.5% in early trading before gains quickly evaporated and turned into losses, signaling that market sentiment remains highly unstable.

TradingKey - At 8:15 AM ET, the three major U.S. stock index futures reversed losses to turn positive in pre-market trading. Dow Jones futures and S&P 500 futures both rose over 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained more than 0.5%.

TradingKey - Gold and silver prices have recently experienced sharp volatility amid the interplay of macroeconomic and geopolitical variables. After hitting periodic highs, gold underwent a rapid retracement while silver simultaneously came under pressure. This dramatic reversal in price action has fueled intensifying debate over whether the bull market has reached its peak.

TradingKey - Influenced by Middle East tensions and U.S. inflation data, market expectations for the Federal Reserve's rate cut trajectory this year continue to narrow, as investors' initial bets on multiple rate cuts are being gradually revised.

TradingKey — The sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East has triggered global market volatility. On March 4, Japanese and South Korean stock markets fell sharply, with South Korean markets triggering intraday circuit breakers, becoming one of the most volatile markets under the impact of this round of geopolitical risks.

TradingKey — In US pre-market trading on March 3, energy sector stocks saw collective movement, with share prices of several related companies rallying significantly to become the primary drivers of the pre-market gainers list. Meanwhile, the three major US indices trended lower across the board.

TradingKey - At 8:50 AM ET on March 3, pre-market US stock futures weakened across the board, while the commodities market showed significant divergence, with crude oil continuing to climb and precious metals facing short-term pressure. As conflicts in the Middle East continue to escalate, Trump’s vow to strike Iran "at all costs" has further exacerbated market panic.