VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Hong Kong's international financial hub is reeling under pressure as the world's largest and second largest economies are impacting it more in a negative way.

The US currency is surging again, but this time with support from the interest-rate market. The US dollar rally registered its strongest gain during the past six months against Euro as two-year dollar interest rate swaps shot over those in the shared-currency area.

The China's withdrawing from the US government debt is being overlooked as robust demand in the domestic market is increasing. Several US mutual funds have started buying treasuries at auction. The US investors are also increasing their buying.

The lack of clarity about the US data and timing of interest rate hike have put further pressure on Asian stock markets. Several Asian stocks slipped into pressure on Friday trading ahead of the US data jobs report. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.7 percent for the week. The long holiday stretch for Chinese markets also resulted in sluggishness in the Asian market.

Giving much wider scope of speculation on possible interest rate hike in next October meeting, the US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has indicated that there would be interest rate hike this year. Yellen further opined that it's necessary to increase short-term rates in a gradual manner as the improvement in labor market further continues and inflation rate reaches to the government target of two percent. The US Central Bank has been sending feelers about the possible rate hike this year for some time. The job market growth is the major factor that puts the US Fed in a comfortable position to take a decision on interest rate hike.

The market analysts, economists say that current situation is favoring the US Fed to take a decision on interest rate hike. The improvement in the labor market in low-income jobs is giving much-needed support to the US Fed.

The latest projects indicating job gains in August are giving a much wider scope for US Fed rate hike speculation. According to research firms, non-farm payrolls were up 220,000 in August from 215,000 in July. Unemployment rate is also at 5.2 percent indicating near seven-and-a-half-year low.

The stock markets last week witnessed shifting of priorities to gold and money markets funds as high volatility make equity markets uncertain following the steep fall of over nine percent on Chinese market on opening day of the week Monday. This has led to record outflows from equity funds during the week.

For most people, purchases are made using debit or credit cards. If one is not careful enough with the use of his debit/credit card, he will surely be in big trouble with debts and interests.

A loan can either bring a business to new heights or disrupt the cash flow and bring a company down to oblivion. Prominent finance gurus Dale Clarke and Ryan O'Shea shared some expert advice to Forbes.com's Garrett Gunderson.

A 401k loan is stirring a negative public impression lately and many argues whether it's something worth risking for. Forbes's Investing section contributor Michael Smith gives his expert advice on the matter.

Based on the July jobs data, the United States may be headed for an interest rate hike, a sign the economy is in good health.

China's top securities brokerages said on Saturday that they would collectively buy at least 120 billion yuan ($19.3 billion of shares in a bid to stabilize the country's stock markets after a slump of nearly 30 percent since mid-June.

U.S. stocks closed down slightly on Thursday after the International Monetary Fund warned Greece ahead of its Sunday referendum that it faces a huge financial hole, and mixed jobs data dampened the U.S. economic outlook.

Stock investors are expected to tread carefully next week, as speculation about the timing of a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate hike adds to concerns about valuations.