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 Nikkei 225 index edged down 0.03% to close at 39,457, while the broader Topix index fell 0.3% to 2,738 on Monday, extending losses from the previous session as investors shifted their focus to the Bank of Japan's upcoming policy decision. Markets remain divided over whether the central bank will raise interest rates again or maintain its current stance when the decision is announced on Thursday. However, BOJ officials last week signaled that more time was needed to assess the latest economic data. Meanwhile, Japan's core machine orders beat expectations in October, signaling a positive...
The Hang Seng Index opened slightly lower at 19,962.29 in Hong Kong on Monday (12/16). AIA Group Ltd. was the biggest contributor to the decline, down 1.0%. Kuaishou Technology was the biggest decliner, down 1.6%. In early trading, 38 of 83 stocks were down, while 40 were up; two of four sectors were down, led by trade and industrial stocks. Source: Bloomberg
Japanese stocks were mixed on Monday, with a weaker yen supporting export-related companies such as machinery and automakers. Rising U.S. bond yields boosted banking stocks, although trading was subdued before key central bank decisions this week in Japan and abroad. The broader Topix index fell 0.1 percent to 2,744.06 as of 9:36 a.m. in Tokyo. The Nikkei index rose 0.2 percent to 39,544.74. Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. was the biggest contributor to the Topix decline, dropping 2 percent. Of the 2,126 stocks in the index, 890 rose and 1,080 fell, while 156 were unchanged. Source: Bloomberg
Asia-Pacific markets are set to mostly climb on Monday, with investors looking to several major central back decisions due this week including the Bank of Japan and the People's Bank of China. The Federal Reserve's decision on Dec. 18 stateside will also be top of mind for investors, with the CME Fedwatch tool forecasting a 96% chance of a 25-basis-points cut. The BOJ is likely to hold rates when it releases its decision on Thursday, while the PBOC will announce its loan prime rates on Friday. The one-year LPR influences corporate loans and most household loans in China, while the...
On Friday, the S&P 500 closed mostly flat, while the Nasdaq gained 0.1%. The Dow, however, dropped 86 points, extending its losing streak to seven sessions, marking its longest stretch since 2020. Losses in major tech stocks like Nvidia (-2.2%), Meta (-1.6%), and Amazon (-0.6%) weighed on the market, while Tesla saw a 4.3% surge, closing record high of $436.23. Broadcom surged 24.4%, hitting a $1 trillion market cap after reporting a 220% increase in AI-related revenue, exceeding expectations. This boost lifted semiconductor stocks, including Marvell (+10.8%) and Taiwan Semiconductor...
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,...