Israeli tanks, ships, and jets pounded parts of Gaza on Tuesday (October 7), offering no respite to Palestinians on the anniversary of the Hamas offensive that led to the two-year war and underscoring the challenges in negotiations over Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict. Israel continued its attacks, local residents said, after Hamas and Israel began indirect negotiations on Monday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on sensitive issues such as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and Hamas' disarmament. The talks over the US president's plan are widely seen as the most...
The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note edged up to 4.28% on Friday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell reassured markets that the economy remains solid while emphasizing no urgency to cut rates. However, the yield remained near the four-month low of 4.16% touched on Monday, as uncertainty over US trade policy fueled concerns about economic growth and extended Wall Street's shift toward safer assets. President Trump granted a one-month exemption for Mexican and Canadian goods under the USMCA from new tariffs but vowed to end further relief. Meanwhile, pledges of aggressive spending cuts and...
The S&P 500 rose on Friday, regaining some ground as the benchmark headed for its worst week since September as a series of trade policy moves unsettled investors. The broad index rose 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded nearly flat. A weaker-than-expected jobs report released Friday raised further concerns about a weakening economy and lower interest rates. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 151,000 jobs in February, short of the consensus estimate for 170,000 from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The unemployment rate edged up to...
The Hang Seng plunged 138 points, or 0.6%, to close at 24,231 on Friday (07/03), snapping a three-day rally. The decline followed trade data from China showing an unexpected drop in imports in January-February, while exports lost momentum amid rising U.S. tariff pressures. The index retreated from a three-year high as investors turned cautious ahead of China's February CPI and PPI data, due over the weekend. Losses were broad-based, with property, financial and technology stocks leading the decline. JD Logistics plunged 14.0% after reporting weaker Q4 net profit growth, while Semicon...
European markets moved lower on Friday, ending a tumultuous week marked by erratic U.S. tariff policy, the European Central Bank's latest interest rate cut, German fiscal reform and increased regional defense spending. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is set to open down 48.9 points at 8,643, France's CAC 40 is down 80 points at 8,146 and Germany's DAX is down 308 points at 23,136, according to IG data. The regional Stoxx 600 index has swung between losses and gains this week amid geopolitical developments and corporate earnings. The benchmark is now headed for a weekly loss, which would be its first...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.17% to close at 36,887 on Friday, nearing its lowest levels since September and tracking losses on Wall Street, where technology stocks were hit by heavy selling pressure. President Trump's shifting tariff policies and the escalating global trade war fueled fears about the economy, increasing market uncertainty. Additionally, local equities faced pressure from a stronger yen and rising Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yields, as expectations grow that the Bank of Japan will continue raising interest rates this year. Economy Minister Ryosei Azakawa announced that...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher, tracking Wall Street gains overnight.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% after hitting a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Topix added 0.61%. South...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
Israeli tanks, ships, and jets pounded parts of Gaza on Tuesday (October 7), offering no respite to Palestinians on the anniversary of the Hamas offensive that led to the two-year war and...