Oil prices dipped in early trade on Friday, trimming part of the previous day's surge but remaining on track for a weekly gain, as fresh US sanctions on Russia's two biggest oil companies over the war in Ukraine fuelled supply concerns.
British inflation unexpectedly held steady in September, raising the prospect of a Bank of England interest rate cut this year and offering some relief to finance minister Rachel Reeves ahead of her budget in November.
The Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates as soon as December as expansionary fiscal policy expected under new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will help the economy weather the hit from U.S. tariffs, former BOJ executive Eiji Maeda said.
Asian stocks fell for a second day on Thursday as lacklustre earnings from tech megacaps deepened a selloff on Wall Street, while U.S. sanctions against Russia and possible new export controls on China revived geopolitical worries.
Oil prices jumped around 2.5% on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session, as supply concerns resurfaced after the United States imposed sanctions on major Russian oil suppliers Rosneft and Lukoil over the Ukraine war.
Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves stood at US$123.4 billion as at Oct 15, 2025, holding steady from the level recorded at end-September.