Senin, 30 Juli 2012

Waspadai Perangkap Stimulus!!!

Harapan stimulus sepertinya terus akan bermunculan, sebagaimana harapan para investor yang menunggu kesempatan untuk melakukan aksi beli besar-besaran terhadap aset-aset resiko dengan harapan akan mendulang keuntungan besar, di luar aksi untuk menutup kerugian yang dialami. Harapan-harapan stimulus terus berdatangan dan bermunculan bak jamur di musim hujan; European Central Bank atau bank sentral Eropa terus mendatangkan harapan-harapan baru akan program atau langkah konkrit guna memuluskan langkah pemulihan untuk krisis hutang yang terus bergantung dan bertahan dengan mengumumkan program pembelian aset obligasi pemerintahan dan negara-negara yang terlilit hutang, seperti EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility), ESM (European Stability Mechanism) dan yang terkini adalah SMP (Securities Markets Program), yaitu ajang pembelian obligasi pemerintah yang akan dilakukan ECB. Selain itu, harapan berupa QE3 juga masih dinantikan oleh banyak kalangan, dengan asumsi pelambatan ekonomi di AS akan memberikan peluang yang cukup besar terjadi pekan ini.

Namun, tanpa bermaksud menyepelekan situasi pasar seperti yang sudah-sudah, tentunya akan menimbulkan pertanyaan, apakah ECB mampu melakukan pembelian obligasi pemerintah di negara-negara Eropa, terkait IMF yang sempat menyatakan akan memangkas bantuan terhadap Yunani. Selain itu, harapan stimulus dari AS yang terus dilatarbelakangi oleh melambatnya perekonomian yang akan dilakukan Federal Reserve Bank AS sepertinya walau dinanti pasar akan tetap diantisipasi bahwa kemungkinan tidak terjadinya stimulus pun sudah diperhitungkan.

Bila menilik kepada perekonomian di Eropa sendiri, tentunya sudah mafhum bahwa perekonomian yang ambruk akibat krisis hutang di wilayah tersebut masih akan terus memberikan sinyal negatif dalam jangka panjang. Pergerakan Euro yang hanya bergerak dengan alasan faktor fundamental yang bertahan pun sepertinya masih menjadi pertanda bahwa perekonomian di Eropa masih akan terus memberikan sinyal terhadap mata uang tunggal Eropa untuk 17 negara penggunanya.

Harapan-harapan stimulus menjelang pekan ini, sepertinya masih akan menjadi alasan penantian para investor untuk tetap setia dalam mode wait-and-see. Harapan dari stimulus QE3 dari AS pada hari Selasa dan Rabu pekan ini mungkin masih akan batu loncatan awal bagi pasar untuk menemukan tonggak penguatan sebagai pedoman untuk aksi beli aset. Lalu, per hari Kamis pekan ini, ECB yang akan menentukan besaran tingkat suku bunga berlanjut menjadi batu loncatan harapan kedua dimana Euro mungkin diharapkan akan bergerak keatas level 1.2500, walau sebagian pasar masih pesimis, dimana peluang ECB masih belum akan melakukan perubahan tingkat suku bunga mungkin saja terjadi. Setelahnya, per hari Jumat ini, data payroll dari AS akan menjadi batu loncatan ketiga.

3 faktor kuat tersebut pekan ini akan menjadi tumpuan arah pergerakan bagi mata uang tunggal Euro dan pasar keuangan secara umum. Namun patut diwaspadai, dimana harapan stimulus mungkin saja tidak terjadi. Mengapa? Berikut penjelasannya:

Spanyol Masih Menjadi Dilema
Spanyol saat ini sedang dalam pembicaraan untuk mendapatkan bantuan dari Jerman senilai lebih dari 300 miliar Euro. Dikabarkan bahwa menteri keuangan Jerman, Wolfgang Schauble, akan bertemu dengan menteri keuangan dari Spanyol, Luis de Guindos, untuk membahas mengenai krisis yang dialami Spanyol hari Selasa, per tanggal 31 Juli 2012, besok dimana negara Eropa terbesar ke 4 Eropa tersebut akan didesak untuk segera meminta pinjaman kepada Uni Eropa dan IMF. Hal ini terkait tingkat bunga pinjaman untuk obligasi dengan jangka waktu 10 tahun sebesar 7.59%, tertingginya sejak Euro menjadi mata uang tunggal. Selain Spanyol, Yunani pun masih dalam ancaman keluar dari Eropa, yang mana hal ini tentunya masih akan membuat was-was para investor di pasar, apakah dengan stimulus yang akan dilakukan ECB akan mampu mengatasi krisis hutang di Eropa, paling tidak untuk Spanyol dan Yunani terlebih dahulu. Kalau pun dana bantuan tersedia, apakah akan cukup? Apakah Jerman yang terus berusaha menolak pelonggaran persyaratan dana bantuan akan merubah pendirian? Hal inilah yang sebenarnya yang masih menjadi kekhawatiran akan keberhasilan atas upaya yang akan ditempuh Troika, yaitu ECB, IMF dan Uni Eropa.

Muluknya Pernyataan Verbal
Tentu tak lepas dari pengamatan bahwa Federal Reserve Bank AS akan siap segera meluncurkan quantitative easing ke 3 atau disingkat menjadi QE3, namun hingga saat ini belum ada realisasi walau ekspektasi terus digelontorkan ke pasar oleh beberapa kalangan yang berkepentingan. Harapan tinggallah harapan. Memang benar penyataan verbal dari Bernanke terus memberikan angin segar (walau sesaat), tetapi setelahnya kembali suram. QE3 yang banyak diimpi-impikan kalangan pasar sepertinya masih belum akan dilakukan. Langkah yang sama juga dilakukan para petinggi di Eropa. Tentunya harapan tersebut harus dijawab dengan tegas oleh Ben S. Bernanke secara tertulis bahwa QE akan dilakukan dengan beberapa kriteria. Apabila kriteria tersebut tidak diungkap kepada publik, maka sekali lagi, harapan QE3 hanyalah harapan semu semata.

Masih berharap akan adanya stimulus? Paling tidak akan ada banyak kalangan sepertinya yang akan kecewa, atau paling tidak angin harapan adanya stimulus baik dari Eropa dan AS akan sedikit meredam pasar yang terus dirundung duka menjadi penyejuk sesaat. Maka dari itu, harapan, ekspektasi atau pun juga disebut sebagai spekulasi sebaiknya di amati dan dicermati dengan baik keberadaannya. Waspadalah, waspadalah!

Kontrak Emas Terbawa Harapan Stimulus

Kontrak Emas Terbawa Harapan StimulusKontrak emas bergerak naik di perdagangan elektronik hari Senin saat para petinggi Eropa memberikan sinyal langkah konkrit untuk mempertahankan kesatuan wilayah dan perekonomian Eropa, membantu membawa harapan akan adanya stimulus.

Kontrak emas untuk pengiriman bulan Agustus naik $2.90 atau sekitar 0.2% untuk diperdagangkan di angka $1,618 di COMEX selama sesi perdagangan Asia.

Meningkatnya optimisme bahwa para petinggi Eropa akan mengambil langkah guna mempertahankan Eropa mendukung pergerakan harga emas pekan lalu.Indikasi-indikasi tambahan muncul pekan ini saat pimpinan dari Uni Eropa, Jean-Claude Juncker mengatakan bahwa para negara-negara anggota Eropa dan ECB akan secepatnya mengambil tindakan guna menyelamatkan Euro.

Fundamental resources 30 july

Euro edges higher vs dollar on ECB speculation

The euro rose to a three-week high against the U.S. dollar in volatile trade on Friday on speculation the European Central Bank may take further action to contain a spreading debt crisis, but a lack of details capped gains.
The euro rose to a session high after Bloomberg reported that ECB President Mario Draghi would meet with the head of Germany's Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, to discuss several measures, including bond purchases, to stem the euro zone debt crisis. Weidmann is a member of the ECB Governing Council.
But caution quickly returned as investors said it remained unclear what actions the ECB might take given Germany's resistance to ECB bond buying. Some analysts also said the currency's three-day rally this week is overdone.
Asked about the report of Draghi's meeting with Weidmann, a spokeswoman for the European Central Bank said it was usual practice for Draghi to meet with Governing Council members. The spokeswoman declined further comment.
A string of positive comments from ECB officials has lifted the euro above a two-year low of $1.2040 set earlier this week.

US STOCKS-Rally drives S&P 500 to highest close since May 3

U.S. stocks surged on Friday, driving the S&P 500 to its highest close since May 3 as hopes increased that the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank may provide further stimulus. Taken together, the S&P 500's two-day move was its biggest since December, driven by optimism that central banks will ride to the rescue with more aid for the world economy. The S&P 500 rose 3.6 percent in those two days, and the moves come before key meetings of both the Fed and the ECB next week. The Dow ended above 13,000 for the first time since May 7.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will meet with Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann to discuss several measures, including bond purchases, to help the euro zone, according to a Bloomberg report.
Helping the argument for more stimulus, data showed U.S. gross domestic product growth slowed to a 1.5 percent annual rate in the second quarter as consumers spent at their most sluggish pace in a year. Sentiment also got a boost on Friday after the French daily Le Monde reported that euro-zone governments and the ECB are preparing to take action to bring down borrowing costs for Spain and Italy. 

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> climbed 187.73 points, or 1.46 percent, to 13,075.66 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> advanced 25.95 points, or 1.91 percent, to finish at 1,385.97. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 64.84 points, or 2.24 percent, to end at 2,958.09.

Gold holds gains after GDP, posts weekly rise

Gold rose but was off earlier highs o n Friday as investors took profits after data showed that economic growth and consumer sentiment have weakened but not enough to prompt the U.S. Federal Reserve to take further stimulative action.

Bullion was up 0.5 percent for the day and logged its biggest weekly gain in eight weeks, boosted by a pledge from the head of European Central Bank to preserve the euro and hopes that the Fed will explore new tools to promote growth in the U.S. economy. After rising nearly 1 percent earlier in the session, gold trimmed its gains after data showed U.S. GDP slowed in the second quarter from the first quarter, and U.S. consumer sentiment in July fell to its lowest level of the year.

Gold has gained 3 percent during its four-day rally. Better performance of the equities market this week, highlighted by Friday's 2 percent surge on Wall Street, also lifted bullion. U.S. COMEX gold futures for August delivery <GCQ2> settled up $2.90 at $1,618 an ounce.

Oil Rises for Fourth Day on Stimulus Speculation

Oil rose for a fourth day on speculation that the European Central Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy to boost economic growth and curb the debt crisis. Prices gained 0.8 percent after ECB President Mario Draghi was said to be planning to hold talks with Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann on stimulus measures including bond purchases. ECB and Fed policy makers are scheduled to gather separately next week to discuss the economy. Oil for September delivery climbed 74 cents to settle at $90.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have risen 16 percent since June 28 and fell 1.4 percent this week.

Nikkei set to rally on hopes of Fed, ECB stimulus

Japan's Nikkei share average is expected to open sharply higher on Monday, boosted by increasing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank may offer further stimulus. The Nikkei <.N225> was likely to trade between 8,600 and 8,700, strategists said, after rallying 1.5 percent to 8,566.64 on Friday to break above its five-day moving average at 8,474.41. Nikkei futures in Chicago <0#NIY:> closed at 8,685 on Friday, up 1.5 percent from the Osaka <JNIc1> close of 8,560. The European Central Bank is due to hold a policy meeting on Thursday, a day after the Fed completes a two-day rate-setting meeting.

A slew of Japanese companies, including Sony Corp <6758.T>, Honda Motor Co Ltd <7267.T>, Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> and Komatsu Ltd <6301.T>, are due to report their quarterly earnings this week.
U.S. stocks surged on Friday, driving the S&P 500 <.INX> to its highest close since May 3 on hope of more stimulus as U.S. economic growth slowed in the second quarter. On Friday, the broader Topix <.TOPX> index rose 1.6 percent to 726.44. Despite the rally, the Topix was still down 1 percent last week, falling for the third week in a row.

Seoul shares seen up on hopes for global c.banks stimulus

Seoul shares are expected to rise on Monday on speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank may offer further stimulus when their policymakers meet this week. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) <.KS11> rallied 2.62 percent to close at 1,829.16 points on Friday, breaking above its 20-day moving average.

The Fed is scheduled to hold a two-day rate setting meeting from Wednesday, followed by Thursday's ECB policy meeting where expectations are running high after central bank chief Mario Draghi pledged last week to do everything necessary to protect the euro zone.

Hong Kong shares seen higher, earnings in focus

Hong Kong shares are set to climb on Monday, tracking strong Wall Street gains on expectations that the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank will deliver new measures to underpin their fragile economies.   
 
Earnings will be in focus with HSBC Holdings Plc and Hang Seng Bank posting results later in the day. Several others, including Hutchison Whampoa and Huaneng Power International , will follow suit later this week.

Last Friday, the Hang Seng Index <.HSI> jumped 2 percent at 19,275, its best day in a month and its highest level in a week. The China Enterprises Index <.HSCE> of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong also rose 2 percent. They slid 1.9 and 1.8 percent last week respectively. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei <.N225> was up 0.9 percent, while South Korea's KOSPI <.KS11> was up 1.1 percent at 0039 GMT.


Source : Reuters

Selasa, 24 Juli 2012

Penurunan Emas Terbatas Jelang ‘IMF-Yunani’

Penurunan Emas Terbatas Jelang ‘IMF-Yunani’ Harga Emas dunia kembali bergerak melemah diperdagangan hari Selasa (24/07) setelah kemarin merosot tajam akibat investor khawatir dengan masalah keuangan di Spanyol dan Yunani.
Selain itu penguatan dollar AS (USD) yang menyentuh level tertinggi dalam dua tahun terhadap euro turut menekan logam mulia. Harga Emas kini tercatat pada kisaran US$1,575.20 per troy ons dari harga penutupan pada US$1,576.65. Pasar emas khususnya di Asia kini nampak terus bergerak sideways lantaran terbebani pembicaraan deflasi karena USD yang menguat serta akibat epidemi yang berkembang di Eropa.
Pada sesi sebelumnya, emas tertekan oleh anjloknya bursa saham AS dan minyak mentah setelah Spanyol menyebutkan jatuh kian dalam menuju resesi di kuartal kedua, sehingga mendorong Spanyol mendekati tahap permintaan bailout secara penuh.
Namun penurunan Emas nampak terbatas seiring Euro mengalami rebound lantaran pasar menyambut positif pihak International Monetary Fund (IMF) yang akan memulai diskusi dengan pemerintah Yunani hari ini. Pertemuan tersebut akan membahas bagaimana mengembalikan program ekonomi Yunani pada jalurnya kembali.
Dan kalangan pelaku pasar mulai memperkirakan dengan lemahnya kondisi perekonomian global akan memicu the Fed untuk meluncurkan quantitative easing tambahan, sehingga pergerakan penurunan emas kembali akan terbatas dan justru secara bertahap akan membangun pondasi pemulihan.

Sterling Kritis di Lembah Degradasi

Sterling Kritis di Lembah Degradasi  Mata uang Inggris – Pound nampak terjebak di zona degradasi (Selasa, 24/07) setelah sesi kemarin terpuruk hingga pecah ke bawah level $1.55 akibat kian memanasnya krisis Eropa terkait masalah keuangan yang melanda negara Spanyol..

Sterling ikut terseret lemah oleh mata uang tunggal Euro setelah sentimen investor terpukul oleh pemberitaan bahwa dua negara bagian di Spanyol yaitu Valencia dan Murcia tengah mengajukan permintaan bantuan dari pemerintah pusat untuk membayar hutangnya. Sehingga data tersebut bila ditambah bukti-bukti pelemahan ekonomi Inggris sendiri, akhirnya turut membebani Sterling.

Sentimen negatif kian bertambah setelah perekonomian Spanyol merosot lebih dalam menuju resesi di kuartal kedua, seiring kecemasan investor terhadap krisis pendanaan di negaranya mendorong Spanyol meminta bailout secara penuh. Output ekonomi menyusut 0.4% di kuartal II setelah anjlok sebanyak 0.3% di kuartal pertama, menurut Bank of Spain dalam laporan bulanannya.

Sementara angka penjualan ritel Inggris pekan lalu turut mengindikasikan perekonomian masih sulit untuk keluar dari resesi, seiring dengan minutes pertemuan Bank of England mendorong prospek stimulus moneter lebih lanjut. GBP kini tercatat melemah di kisaran $1.5520-an setelah terjungkal hingga $1.5482 di awal pekan kemarin dan ditutup pada kisaran $1.5509.

Lagi, Rally Euro Terjegal Aksi Moody’s

Lagi, Rally Euro Terjegal Aksi Moody’s Mata uang tunggal Uero hari ini (24/07) bergerak tidak jauh dari kisaran rendah dalam 2 tahun terakhir terhadap dollar (USD) dan masih berada di area terendah sekitar 12 tahun terhadap Yen akibat yield obligasi pemerintah Spanyol kini bercokol di kisaran 7.5 %.

Pesimisme pasar kian meningkat setelah lembaga pemeringkat Moody’s Investor Services memangkas peringkat outlook menjadi negatif untuk negara Jerman yang selama ini memiliki level Aaa, kemudian Belanda dan Luxembourg ditengah krisis utang yang terus menerus melanda kawasan Eropa Aksi lepas posisi masih mewarnai investor hari ini menyusul masih merebaknya sentimen negatif setelah di rilisnya proyeksi pemerintah Spanyol bahwa negerinya akan mengalami resesi di tahun 2013 mendatang menyusul pemberitaan dua pemerintah daerahnya menyatakan meminta bailout.

Dua pemerintah otonomi negara Spanyol pada distrik Valencia dan Murcia menyatakan tengah meminta bantuan pemerintah pusat sebesar €18 milyar untuk membayar hutangnya dan membantu keuangan daerah. Sontak kabar tersebut kian menambah kekhawatiran bahwa ekonomi terbesar ke-4 zona Euro mungkin akan memerlukan bailout internasional dalam skala besar. Euro kini bergerak sideways di kisaran $1.2125 setelah sesi kemarin terjungkal hingga $1.2067 dan berakhir ditutup di level $1.2117.

Penurunan Emas Terbatas Jelang ‘IMF-Yunani’

Penurunan Emas Terbatas Jelang ‘IMF-Yunani’ Harga Emas dunia kembali bergerak melemah diperdagangan hari Selasa (24/07) setelah kemarin merosot tajam akibat investor khawatir dengan masalah keuangan di Spanyol dan Yunani.

Selain itu penguatan dollar AS (USD) yang menyentuh level tertinggi dalam dua tahun terhadap euro turut menekan logam mulia. Harga Emas kini tercatat pada kisaran US$1,575.20 per troy ons dari harga penutupan pada US$1,576.65. Pasar emas khususnya di Asia kini nampak terus bergerak sideways lantaran terbebani pembicaraan deflasi karena USD yang menguat serta akibat epidemi yang berkembang di Eropa.

Pada sesi sebelumnya, emas tertekan oleh anjloknya bursa saham AS dan minyak mentah setelah Spanyol menyebutkan jatuh kian dalam menuju resesi di kuartal kedua, sehingga mendorong Spanyol mendekati tahap permintaan bailout secara penuh.

Namun penurunan Emas nampak terbatas seiring Euro mengalami rebound lantaran pasar menyambut positif pihak International Monetary Fund (IMF) yang akan memulai diskusi dengan pemerintah Yunani hari ini. Pertemuan tersebut akan membahas bagaimana mengembalikan program ekonomi Yunani pada jalurnya kembali.
Dan kalangan pelaku pasar mulai memperkirakan dengan lemahnya kondisi perekonomian global akan memicu the Fed untuk meluncurkan quantitative easing tambahan, sehingga pergerakan penurunan emas kembali akan terbatas dan justru secara bertahap akan membangun pondasi pemulihan.

QE Sebagai Indikator Pergerakan Emas

QE Sebagai Indikator Pergerakan EmasHarga beli emas dalam bentuk dollar AS bergerak melemah ke $1,583 hari Senin pagi kemarin, sesuai dengan pergerakan harga pekan lalu, sementara bursa saham juga bergerak melemah bersama naiknya harga obligasi AS, dengan pasar yang masih memfokuskan diri pada pernyataan Ben Bernanke dari Federal Reserve AS sebelum kongres yang masih berlangsung hingga besok.

Harga untuk perak juga turun ke $27.11, nyaris 1% dari penutupan pekan lalu – saat beberapa komoditi industru juga bergerak melemah.Euro terhadap dollar AS kembali bergerak kebawah $1.22, walau saat ini Euro kembali naik dan bertahan dekat $1.23.“Terus awasi pergerakan dollar AS dan bursa saham sebagai petunjuk pergerakan untuk emas”, dikatakan David Govett, seorang manajer logam mulia dari kantor pialang marex Spectron.

“Tetapi secara keseluruhan, pasar masih akan stabil, bergerak tipis dan masih bergerak waspada seperti biasanya”.Pasar kembali dalam mode wait-and-see menjelang pernyataan dari Ben Bernanke.“Adanya sinyal akan terwujudnya quantitative easing akan mendorong naik harga emas”, dikatakan analis dari Jinrui Futures, Chen Min di China, “Walau kami pikir adanya QE3 mungkin kecil sekali kemungkinannya untuk muncul, dimana Fed mungkin akan melakukannya dalam beberapa bulan kedepan”.“Ia (Bernanke) tentunya mengatakan bahwa QE mungkin saja ada”, ditambahkan Mitul Kotecha, seorang head of global foreign exchange dari Credit Agricole yang berbasis di Hong Kong. “Tetapi pasar mungkin masih akan mengalami kekecewaan”.

fundamental analysis July 24th 2012

Euro slumps broadly on Spain bailout fears

The euro fell to a two-year low against the U.S. dollar and a nearly 12-year trough against the yen on Monday on fears Spain is edging closer to needing a full-scale bailout that the euro zone cannot afford. Ten-year Spanish bond yields jumped as high as 7.596 percent, the highest since the euro was created in 1999. That saw the euro drop for a fourth straight day against the dollar to hit a low of $1.2067, the weakest since June 2010.

Traders and analysts say the euro looks poised to take out the key $1.20 threshold. A break beneath that could see the currency head towards its June 2010 low of $1.1875, which marked the weakest since March 2006.
    
"With the 10-year yield above 7 percent and quickly approaching 8 percent, we're at that moment where it starts to look a lot more real than it was even just a few weeks ago," said John Doyle, foreign-exchange strategist at Tempus Consulting in Washington, referring to a full-scale sovereign bailout for Spain.
    
Adding to pressure on the euro was a weekend report that the International Monetary Fund may refuse to contribute further funding for Greece. The IMF dismissed the report, saying it was "supporting Greece in overcoming its economic difficulties."

Pain in Spain hits Wall St

U.S. stocks fell for a second straight session on Monday, as Spain appeared closer to needing a national bailout and poor corporate results weighed on the market.Weak results from McDonald's Corp added to the cautious tone on Wall Street. Materials stocks were among the day's weakest, hurt by across-the-board declines in commodity prices.
   
Still, stocks ended well off the day's lows, rebounding from their initial plunge. Stocks appeared to stabilize as the S&P 500 approached its 50-day moving average of 1,332.98, a technical support level that could trigger more losses if convincingly broken.
   
Overall, three stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, a signal that the afternoon rebound was concentrated among larger-cap shares. On the Nasdaq, about four stocks fell for every one that rose.
   
"The sell-off this morning was overdone, and obviously, the market felt that way, too," said Eric Green, senior portfolio manager and director of research at Penn Capital Management in Philadelphia, which oversees $6.5 billion.
   
"Nothing incrementally negative came out, but obviously, we're still worried about the situation there.The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 101.11 points, or 0.79 percent, to close at 12,721.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> declined 12.14 points, or 0.89 percent, to 1,350.52. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 35.15 points, or 1.20 percent, to close at 2,890.15.

Gold off lows on safety bids, outperforms equities

Gold slipped on Monday as Spain's economic troubles fueled euro zone debt fears, but safe-haven bids pulled bullion off session lows, as it outperformed equities and other commodities. Gold came under early pressure from tumbling U.S. equities and crude oil after Spain said it sank deeper into recession in the second quarter. Many investors worried the euro zone's No. 4 economy was closer to seeking a full bailout.
    
Gold pared losses as the euro rebounded after the International Monetary Fund said it would start discussions with the Greek authorities on July 24 on how to bring Greece's economic program back on track.
   
Last week, worries about a global economic slowdown and deflation sent bullion slumping toward $1,560 an ounce several times, but gold held above that level. The metal has been moving in a range between $1,527 and $1,655 in the past three months.U.S. COMEX August gold futures <GCQ2> settle down $5.40 at $1,577.40 an ounce, with trading volume in line with its 30-day average, preliminary Reuters data showed.

Oil Tumbles Most This Year on European Debt Crisis

Oil plunged the most this year on concern that Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis is deepening and as a Chinese central-bank adviser said the country’s economic expansion may slow further. Futures fell 4 percent as the cost of insuring Spanish debt surged to a record. Greece’s creditors will gather this week amid doubts that the nation will meet bailout targets. Growth in China, the second-biggest crude consuming country, may cool for a seventh straight quarter, said Song Guoqing, a member of the People’s Bank of China monetary policy committee.

“Worries about the European debt crisis are overshadowing everything else,” said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. “The prospect of a deflationary spiral is back haunting us, especially given the signs of a Chinese slowdown. This is bad for the outlook for commodity demand, especially oil.”
 
Crude oil for September delivery fell $3.69 to settle at $88.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was the biggest decrease for a front-month contract since Dec. 14. Prices are down 11 percent this year.

Nikkei seen falling as Spain worries grow

Japan's Nikkei share average is likely to fall on Tuesday after worries that Spain may not be able to avoid a bailout pummelled risk assets on global markets. Investors are also concerned that Japan's earning season, which starts in earnest later this week, is unlikely to give the market a fillip as companies brace for a slowdown in the global economy.

On Monday the Nikkei shed 1.9 percent to 8,508.32 <.N225>, its lowest close sine June 8. The broader Topix index <.TOPX> slipped 1.8 percent to 720.62, having fallen in 11 of the past 12 sessions. World equity markets sold off and the euro set new two-year lows against the U.S. dollar on Monday after reports that more indebted regions in Spain need financial aid fueled fears that the country may need a bailout.
 
As losses mount, retail Japanese investors with long positions in margin trading may also be forced to liquidate positions to access collateral, adding to the downward pressure, an analyst at a Japanese brokerage warned.

Seoul shares seen extending falls on Spain bailout fears

Seoul shares are expected on Tuesday to extend their decline from the previous session, as fears that Spain could be pushed into seeking a bailout continue to sap investor appetite for risk. U.S. stocks fell for a second straight session on Monday but ended well off the day's low, rebounding from an initial plunge and stabilizing near the S&P 500's 50-day moving average.

Still, investors will be taking aggressive bets off the table after Spanish media reported up to half-a-dozen more regions may follow Valencia in requesting central government aid, pushing Spanish bond yields to a euro-era high of 7.5 percent, well above the 7 percent danger threshold. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) <.KS11> dropped 1.84 percent to a one-and-a-half week closing low of 1,789.45 points on Monday.

Hong Kong stock market to delay opening due to typhoon

Hong Kong's stock market will delay its opening on Tuesday morning due to Typhoon Vicente. Should the typhoon signal of 8 and higher remain in force after 9 a.m. (0100 GMT), the Hong Kong stock exchange will remain closed in the morning. If the signal of 8 or higher is still in place by noon, the stock markets will be closed for the whole day.


Source : Reuters

Technical Analysis, July 24th, 2012

CURRENCY
RANGE
TREND
RESISTANCE
SUPPORT
BUY
SELL
OBJ
CUT
EUR/USD
1.2060-1.2230
Down
1.2290
1.2110

1.2170
1.2060
1.2230
1.2230
1.2050
USD/JPY
77.50-79.20
Up
79.30
77.50
78.10

79.20
77.50
78.70
76.90
GBP/USD
1.5430-1.5610
Down
1.5670
1.5490

1.5550
1.5430
1.5610
1.5610
1.5430
USD/CHF
0.9800-0.9970
Up
0.9980
0.9800
0.9860

0.9970
0.9800
0.9920
0.9740
AUD/USD
1.0190-1.0360
Down
1.0420
1.0240

1.0300
1.0190
1.0360
1.0360
1.0180
NIKKEI
8260-8400
Down
8500
8320

8380
8260
8440
8440
8250
HANGSENG
18780-18960
Down
19020
18840

18900
18780
18960
18960
18770
KOSPI
233.90-235.70
Down
236.30
234.50

235.10
233.90
235.70
235.70
233.80
GOLD
1568.50-1591.00
Down
1598.50
1576.00

1583.50
1568.50
1591.00
1591.00
1568.50

Technical Analysis, July 24th, 2012

CURRENCY
RANGE
TREND
RESISTANCE
SUPPORT
BUY
SELL
OBJ
CUT
EUR/USD
1.2060-1.2230
Down
1.2290
1.2110

1.2170
1.2060
1.2230
1.2230
1.2050
USD/JPY
77.50-79.20
Up
79.30
77.50
78.10

79.20
77.50
78.70
76.90
GBP/USD
1.5430-1.5610
Down
1.5670
1.5490

1.5550
1.5430
1.5610
1.5610
1.5430
USD/CHF
0.9800-0.9970
Up
0.9980
0.9800
0.9860

0.9970
0.9800
0.9920
0.9740
AUD/USD
1.0190-1.0360
Down
1.0420
1.0240

1.0300
1.0190
1.0360
1.0360
1.0180
NIKKEI
8260-8400
Down
8500
8320

8380
8260
8440
8440
8250
HANGSENG
18780-18960
Down
19020
18840

18900
18780
18960
18960
18770
KOSPI
233.90-235.70
Down
236.30
234.50

235.10
233.90
235.70
235.70
233.80
GOLD
1568.50-1591.00
Down
1598.50
1576.00

1583.50
1568.50
1591.00
1591.00
1568.50