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...
The Hang Seng Index closed almost flat at 20,096 on Friday (12/27) after rising in the previous two sessions, with gains in the technology, property and consumer discretionary sectors offsetting losses in the financial sector. Traders digested a report that the World Bank raised its forecast for China's economic growth to 4.9% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2025 but warned of challenges such as weak demand, weak consumer sentiment and high local government debt. Meanwhile, the latest data showed that China's industrial profits fell 4.7% year-on-year in the first 11 months of this year, sharply higher...
European stocks traded lower on Friday as markets resumed trading after the Christmas holiday. The Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 each fell 0.1%, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. This followed a shortened session at the start of the week due to Christmas Eve, with many traders still away for the holiday season. As 2024 winds down, attention turns to the final trading days, New Year's Day on Tuesday, and the outlook for monetary policy from the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve. Market watchers are also watching for potential tariff changes under U.S....
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.8% to close at 40,281 on Friday, marking a second straight day of gains and hitting its highest since mid-October, with most sectors contributing to the rally. The broader Topix index rose 1.3% to close at 2,802, as a weaker yen boosted exporters and fueled broad gains. Meanwhile, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda reiterated the need to monitor economic risks but refrained from providing clear guidance on future interest rate hikes. On the data front, Japan's retail sales grew the most in three months in November, while industrial output fell less than expected. However, a...
The Hang Seng Index rose for a third day, rising 0.2%, or 49.15, to 20,147.44 in Hong Kong. Xiaomi Corp. was the biggest contributor to the index's gain, rising 5.3%. Lenovo Group Ltd. was the biggest gainer, rising 7.8%. In midday trading, 37 of 83 stocks rose, while 41 fell; two of four sectors rose, led by trade and industrial stocks. Source: Bloomberg
Japanese shares rose, led by gains in autos and electronics shares, as a weaker yen boosted earnings growth hopes. Toyota Motor rose 1.0% and Renesas Electronics gained 2.0%. USD/JPY was at 157.85, compared with 157.36 at the close of trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday. Investors were watching for any comments on the yen's recent depreciation from Japanese government officials. The Nikkei Stock Average was up 0.5% at 39,753.32. Source: Bloomberg
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,...