Renewed tensions between the United States and Russia have resurfaced following an incident involving an oil tanker, sparking market concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies. Washington's move, associated with tightening oversight and enforcement of sanctions on Russian oil shipments, is viewed by Moscow as provocative and could worsen relations between the two countries. Russia views these actions as an attempt by the United States to suppress Russian energy exports and strengthen its dominance in the global oil market. Meanwhile, Washington argues that these measures...
The Nikkei 225 closed nearly flat on Wednesday (October 22nd), hovering around 49,308 (-0.02%), after a rally to its previous record triggered profit-taking—particularly in technology stocks—leading to volatile movement throughout the session. This "flat" closing tone aligns with the weakening technology sector in Asia following Wall Street's sluggish performance. On the sentiment side, the market weighed news that new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing a large stimulus package—a factor that temporarily curbed intraday declines—as well as data showing Japanese exports rose 4.2%...
The Hang Seng Index fell 0.7% to 25,842.83 as of 10:00 a.m. local time, following a pause in Wall Street's rally as the S&P 500 stalled and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2%. Pressure came from tech stocks: NetEase slumped 3.3% to HK$232.40, Alibaba fell 2.3% to HK$161.30, and Baidu retreated 2% to HK$115. Precious metals stocks also took a hit—Zijin Mining fell 5.6% to HK$30.58 and jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook fell 4.3% to HK$15.91—as gold held below US$4,100/oz after a sharp correction and silver weakened 7.9% to US$48.54. Index losses were limited by Pop Mart International's 4.5% surge to...
Asian stock markets fell on Wednesday, as investors digested Japanese trade data and the formation of a new government in Tokyo. Japanese exports rose 4.2% year-on-year in September—breaking a four-month decline—but still below expectations of 4.6%. The rise in Asia helped offset weakening shipments to the US.The cabinet of new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was officially sworn in. Shinjiro Koizumi was appointed defense minister, while Satsuki Katayama became Japan's first female finance minister. Market sentiment remains cautious amid this political transition.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell...
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.7% at 48988.23, dragged by chip and metals stocks, as profit-taking kicks in following their recent surge. SoftBank Group is down 8.3%, Advantest is 2.8% lower while Sumitomo Metal Mining is down 5.3% and JX Advanced Metals is 4.5% lower. Meanwhile, auto stocks are higher thanks to a weaker yen and hopes for lower taxes on gas in Japan. Toyota Motor is up 4.2% and Honda Motor is 3.6% higher. The broader market index Topix is up 0.2% at 3255.47. USD/JPY is at 151.63, compared with 151.57 as of Tuesday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing...
US stocks closed higher for the third straight session as a strong start to earnings overcame lingering US-China trade uncertainty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 240 points to a record high, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index closed slightly higher as a string of results that beat expectations boosted gains. General Motors jumped 16% after raising its forecast, Coca-Cola gained 3.8% on steady beverage demand and benefits from an Indian bottling deal, and 3M rose 6.3% after beating estimates. Defense and aerospace stocks outperformed, with GE Aerospace rising 1.3% and...
Asian stock markets fell in unison on Thursday, following Wall Street's decline. A brief rally in tech stocks led by Nvidia quickly faded, prompting investors to turn away from riskier assets like...
European stock indices closed marginally lower on Wednesday as equities took a breather from their recent strong momentum, while investors continued to assess the outlook for the ECB's policy this...
The upcoming Supreme Court ruling on the legality of President Donald Trump's massive tariffs, which rocked markets in April, is one of the next major tests for US stocks and bonds.
Equity markets...