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...
European stocks rebounded on Friday after three sessions of declines, as the U.S. pause in Middle East conflicts eased investor concerns. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.4 percent at 537.98 points by 0708 GMT. The benchmark index was on track for a second weekly decline. The Israeli-Iranian air war entered its second week and European officials are trying to get Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential U.S. involvement would be made within two weeks. The news lifted the market mood and helped restore appetite for riskier assets...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.22% to close at 38,403 on Friday, while the broader Topix index dropped 0.75% to 2,771, extending losses from the previous session as accelerating inflation raised concerns about tighter monetary policy. Japan's core inflation rate rose for a third straight month in May, hitting 3.7%—the highest level since January 2023—strengthening expectations that the Bank of Japan could continue its policy normalization efforts. Geopolitical tensions also weighed on sentiment, amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a possible strike on Iran, adding to market...
Hong Kong shares rose 165 points, or 0.7%, to 23,399 in early trading on Friday, snapping a three-day losing streak amid broad sector gains. The market recovered from a three-week low after China's central bank kept its main lending rate unchanged, as expected, following a record cut in May aimed at boosting the economy and offsetting the impact of rising U.S. tariffs. Sentiment was further boosted by hopes that China's top legislature could recommend fresh stimulus measures during the early July session. However, for the week, the Hang Seng is on track for its first decline in three terms,...
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to above 38,600 on Friday, recovering some of the previous session's losses as investors digested Japan's latest inflation figures. Headline inflation eased slightly to 3.5% in May from 3.6% in the previous two months, the lowest level since November 2024. However, core inflation, which excludes fresh food but includes energy, rose for a third straight month to 3.7%, the highest since January 2023. This reinforced expectations that the Bank of Japan will continue to tighten monetary policy in response to persistent inflationary pressures. Externally, geopolitical...
Hong Kong stocks dropped sharply on Thursday after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of "meaningful" inflation ahead, and investors grew concerned about potential US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. The Hang Seng Index lost 472.95 points, or 2.0%, to close at 23,237.74, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 183.25 points, or 2.1%, to 8,410.94. The US central bank left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and penciled in two cuts by the end of 2025. While the Fed expects two rate reductions in 2025, it trimmed its growth forecast and raised its inflation...
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,...