Hamas officials were in Egypt on Monday (October 6th) ahead of talks with Israel that the US hopes will lead to an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, despite contentious issues such as the disarmament of Palestinian militant groups under Donald Trump's plan. Israeli negotiators were also scheduled to travel to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh later in the day to discuss the hostages' release, part of the US president's 20-point blueprint for ending the two-year conflict. The Israeli delegation includes officials from the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence...
European markets shifted higher Thursday afternoon, following a mixed start to 2025 trading. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index reversed earlier losses to trade 0.5% higher by 3:50 p.m. London time, as regional bourses reopened after the New Year's Day holiday. Oil and gas stocks led gains, rising 2.3%, while utilities also climbed 1.6%. Banking stocks and autos dipped, however, losing 0.46% and 0.69% respectively, as uncertainty remained over the economic outlook and potential tariffs under U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. France's CAC 40 also reversed early losses to gain 0.18%, though...
European markets started 2025 on a cautious note, with the Stoxx 50 down 0.4% and the Stoxx 600 almost flat on Thursday. Gains in oil, gas and mining stocks, up 1.5% and 1.3% respectively, were offset by declines in banking (-0.1%) and media (-0.3%). After solid performances in 2024—up 8.3% for the Stoxx 50 and 6% for the Stoxx 600—investors are now looking for fresh drivers amid ongoing concerns over U.S. tariffs and European political instability. In economic news, Spanish factory activity picked up in December 2024, with the Spanish HCOB Manufacturing PMI rising to 53.3 from 53.1 in...
The Hang Seng plunged 437 points, or 2.2%, to close at 19,623 in the first trading session of 2025, pressured by further selling in mainland markets following sluggish Chinese factory activity in December. The index fell to a near one-month low, with concerns growing over potential tariff hikes by the Trump administration and their broad impact on Chinese exports. Nervous traders anticipated that markets would lack clear direction until the National People's Congress in early March when Beijing is due to announce its growth targets for the new year. Losses were broad, with financials down...
HK50 decreased to a 4-week low of 19563.00 Index Points. Over the past 4 weeks, Hong Kong Stock Market Index (HK50) lost 0.84%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 17.63%. Source: Trading Ecnomics
Stocks were slightly higher Tuesday, as investors look to wrap up another booming year that hoisted the S&P 500 to its second consecutive annual gain exceeding 20%, spurred by enthusiasm for rate cuts, economic strength and artificial intelligence. The broad market index traded 0.3% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 141 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 has surged 24% in 2024, building on a gain of 24.2% from last year. The two-year gain of around 54% is the best since the nearly 66% rally in 1997 and 1998. Meanwhile, the Dow has...
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...
Hamas officials were in Egypt on Monday (October 6th) ahead of talks with Israel that the US hopes will lead to an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, despite contentious issues such...