If it just seems like the first Friday of the month wasn't the same without being able to pore through the Bureau of Labor Statistics' hotly watched monthly jobs report, don't worry. You probably didn't miss much. While the BLS has gone dark with the shutdown in Washington, other reports outside the government data suggest the labor market just plodded along in September. The Dow Jones consensus forecast was for growth of 51,000 in nonfarm payrolls with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. High-frequency data that includes job postings, private payrolls and state-by-state figures...
US stocks were mostly higher on Monday as traders brace for a busy week of economic data ahead of next week's FOMC decision. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%, while the Dow Jones hovered around the flatline. Inflation data will be in focus, with the upcoming CPI and PPI reports expected to shed more light on price pressures. Markets have nearly fully priced in a Federal Reserve rate cut this month, particularly after last week's weak jobs report. The BLS's preliminary benchmark revision to employment levels for the 12 months through March will also draw attention. At...
The Hang Seng index rose 216 points, or 0.9%, to close at 25,634 on Monday, extending its gains for a second session. Sentiment was boosted by US index futures, which indicated a rally on Wall Street, as weak employment data reinforced speculation of a Fed rate cut later this month. Investor optimism about the Chinese economy also improved after foreign exchange reserves reached their highest level since December 2015 in August, with the central bank reportedly increasing its gold holdings. However, gains were limited as Chinese trade data showed weak export and import growth, underscoring...
Stocks in Europe started the week in positive territory, with the STOXX 50 up 0.6% and the STOXX 600 advancing 0.3%. Equities continued to benefit from expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates this month, while investors kept a close watch on political developments in France. Prime Minister François Bayrou is widely expected to lose a confidence vote today, a result that would deepen political uncertainty in the country. Meanwhile, the ECB meets this week to set monetary policy. While no change in interest rates is anticipated, traders will scrutinize the meeting for any guidance...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 added 1.62% to hit a new all time high. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Mazda Motor Corp (TYO:7261), which rose 7.15% or 78.50 points to trade at 1,176.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Resonac Holdings Corp (TYO:4004) added 5.81% or 229.00 points to end at 4,173.00 and IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) was up 5.00% or 755.00 points to 15,855.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Keyence...
Japanese stocks rose after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his plans to step down, fueling hopes of new catalysts such as a government spending boost. The Topix index rose 1.1% to 3,138.20—a new record high—with 1,305 stocks advancing, 299 declining, and 72 unchanged. The Nikkei 225 added 1.5% to 43,643.81. Ishiba's resignation follows weeks of pressure following the poor results of the July election. According to TBS, the Liberal Democratic Party is considering a leadership election on October 4. "The market sees this as a sign of movement after post-election stagnation," said...
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...
The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long,...