Sigma Holdings Limited – Introduces Access to Options Trading and Weekly Commentary Reports

HONG KONG - Oct. 9, 2018 - PRLog -- To this end, we are pleased to announce that we are now offering new and existing clients the ability to trade options across several key markets and sectors.

Along with this new focus, we shall also be providing a weekly commentary on the global economies, markets, commodities and all things investment related.

October 9^th 2018

Asian shares hit 17-month lows on Tuesday as China allowed its currency to slip past a psychological bulwark amid sharp losses in domestic share markets, a shift that pressured other emerging currencies to depreciate to stay competitive.

The IMF added to the malaise by cutting forecasts of global growth for both this year and next, including downgrades to the outlook for the United States, China and Europe.

China's central bank on Tuesday fixed its yuan at 6.9019 per dollar, so breaching the 6.9000 barrier and leading speculators to push the dollar up to 6.9320 in the spot market.

The drop should be a positive for exporters and did help Shanghai blue chips briefly edge up 0.1 percent in early trade before trading almost flat. Yet that follows a 4.3 percent slide on Monday which was the largest daily drop since early 2016.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan eased another 0.2 percent after ending Monday at its lowest point since May last year.

Japan's Nikkei fell 1.2 percent, hurt in part by a rise in the safe-harbor yen.

On Monday, a senior U.S. Treasury official expressed concern at the fall in the yuan, adding that it was unclear whether Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would meet with any Chinese officials this week.

On Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq had fallen for the third straight day on Monday and growth stocks were pressured by worries rising bond yields might ultimately hobble the economy.

The S&P 500 lost 0.04 percent and the Nasdaq Composite 0.67 percent, while the Dow rose 0.15 percent as defensive stocks found buyers.

NO SAFETY NET

Yields on 10-year Treasury paper held at 3.24 percent on Tuesday, near a seven-year top.

Treasuries have had a sort of safety net up to now as rising yields tend to dampen stocks and threaten the economic outlook, thus putting pressure on the Federal Reserve to go slow on policy tightening.

Yet recently the Fed has sounded so bullish on the economy and so hawkish on rates that the net has become frayed.

"The size and speed of the bearish bond impulse would suggest a collective shift in market thinking about the US growth prospects and policy projections," said, Sigma Holding's head of rates strategy.

"The Fed's expected 2019 profile has moved from just below 2 hikes to 2.5 hikes being factored-in."

That shift has underpinned the dollar against a basket of currencies where it stood at 95.754, from a low of 93.814 just a couple of weeks ago.

The dollar had less luck on the safe-haven yen pulling back to 113.07 from a 114.54 peak last week.

The euro was undermined by political troubles in Italy and lapsed to $1.1490, well off September's $1.1815 top.

Italy's borrowing costs have surged as a war of words between Rome and the European Union over the country's budget plans escalated.

The yield on Italian government 10-year bonds rose more than 20 basis points to 3.626 percent, the highest since February 2014, while Italy's FTSE MIB stock index fell to its weakest since April 2017.

Brazil's real currency hit a two-month high and stocks jumped after market-preferred presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro's strong first-round win on Sunday.

In commodity markets, gold got only a marginal safety bid at $1,189.41, having fallen 1.4 percent overnight.

Oil prices were little changed as more evidence emerged that crude exports from Iran are declining in the run-up to the reimposition of U.S. sanctions, while a hurricane moved across the Gulf of Mexico. [O/R]

Brent crude added 3 cents to $83.94 a barrel, while U.S. crude firmed 5 cents to $74.34.

About Sigma Holdings Limited:

Sigma Holdings Limited invests across a diverse field of market places and industry sectors within a global forum. The specific type and / or location of each investment opportunity is of no relevance to our in house experts. Our main objective is simple and based on risk verses reward ratios, any move or recommendation made by ourselves to our clients on this basis ensures them consistent returns and, in so doing, furthers the reputation and profitability of our company.

Sigma Holdings Limited conducts vital day to day activities and services for our clients. We are consistently available to assist and advise our clients wherever required both in terms of their existing investment portfolio, but also in said portfolios growth, aiming to capitalize on the diversity the global market place has to offer at all times. All of these vital day to day activities are performed to ensure that we are at the top of of our game and remain leaders in the investment markets.

To find out more about the opportunities Sigma see's within the markets, contact us at info@sigmaholdingsltd.com or visit our website at www.sigmaholdingsltd.com for more information on our strategies and services.