[True Insight Research Viewpoint] U.S. Stocks Plunge, Dow Drops Over 1%, Middle East Conflict Hits Financial Market Performance

The three major U.S. stock indices fell, with the Dow Jones dropping over 1%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices fell by 0.43% and 0.92%, respectively. The Golden Dragon Index, which reflects the performance of Chinese concept stocks, also fell by more than 1.8%.

Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets performed well overall last week. For A-shares, although the Shanghai Composite Index and the Shenzhen Component Index saw mixed performance on Friday last week, the Shanghai Composite Index still accumulated a gain of about 2% for the week, closing at 4,162 points. The Shenzhen Component Index also rose by 2.8%, closing at 14,495 points, marking the second consecutive week of gains. Hong Kong stocks were also volatile. The Hang Seng Index rose 217 points or 0.82% for the week, closing at 26,630 points. However, the Hang Seng TECH Index fell 1.4% to 5,137 points. It's worth noting that the TECH Index has fallen for the second consecutive week, and for February alone, the decline exceeded 10%.

Among Hang Seng Index constituents, the best performer last week was $HSBC HOLDINGS(00005.HK). Its strong performance last year stimulated its stock price, which surged nearly 10% in a week. Another stock with strong earnings, $SHK PPT(00016.HK), also performed well, with its stock price rising nearly 7.6%. Additionally, six other constituents gained over 6%, namely $TECHTRONIC IND(00669.HK), $CK ASSET(01113.HK), $CHINA RES BEER(00291.HK), and Orient Overseas (International) (00316.HK). Among the declining constituents, the worst performer was Zhong Sheng (00881.HK), which was removed from the index, with a drop of 12.87%. Sino Biopharmaceutical (01177.HK) also performed poorly, falling over 9%. Chow Tai Fook (01929.HK), which performed well at the beginning of the year, also fell over 8%.

Tensions in the Middle East impacted Asia-Pacific stock markets today, and Hong Kong stocks inevitably opened lower. The market will continue to monitor the subsequent developments of the event. As for technical analysis, although the Hang Seng Index regained the 50-day moving average (26,522 points) last Friday, resistance at the 10-day moving average (26,743 points) is evident. The 100-day moving average (26,327 points) below should not be lost. Once breached, it may further test the 26,000-point level.

Source: Bright Smart Securities