The White House is tightening its pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the U.S. government shutdown enters its second week, saying it will give them another chance to agree on a spending bill before beginning mass layoffs of federal employees. With the Senate scheduled to vote Monday night for the fifth time on a stopgap bill to keep the government operating until November 21, Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, argued that it's time for Democrats to be "reasonable." Trump has said he will use the government shutdown to lay off thousands more federal employees, who...
The Nikkei 225 ended almost flat at 37,754 while the broader Topix index edged up 0.05% to 2,741 on Friday, with Japanese shares struggling to gain traction as weak economic data weighed on sentiment. Investor caution prevailed after Japan's economy contracted 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in Q1, marking its first decline in a year and missing expectations for a 0.1% decline. The data reinforced concerns raised by the Bank of Japan earlier this week, which warned of a potential economic moderation due to U.S. trade policy pressures. The Japanese market also mirrored losses in U.S. technology...
Hong Kong stocks fell 214 points, or 0.9%, to 23,241 on Friday, posting a second straight session of losses amid declines across all sectors. Investors were cautious ahead of key Chinese April data due next week, including industrial production, retail sales and home prices. Meanwhile, the People's Bank of China is set to review its benchmark lending rate, which has remained at a record low in recent months to support the struggling economy. Alibaba Group Hlds. plunged 4.9% after reporting disappointing quarterly earnings. Other big losers included Kuaishou (-3.0%), Meituan (-2.7%),...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.4% to around 37,600 while the broader Topix index fell 0.1% to 2,736 on Friday, with Japanese shares falling for a third straight session, weighed down by weaker-than-expected economic data and weak guidance from Wall Street. Investor sentiment soured after Japan's GDP contracted 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter, marking the country's first economic contraction in a year and below forecasts for a 0.1% decline. The data reinforced concerns raised earlier this week by the Bank of Japan, which warned of a potential economic moderation amid the impact of...
The S&P 500 climbed for a fourth session, adding to this week's rally after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash tariff rates. Treasury yields also fell, providing a tailwind to stocks. The broad market index added 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 271.69 points, or 0.7%. Confidence in the immediate outlook for stocks has strengthened in the wake of last weekend's talks between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese officials that appeared to stave off a short-term decline in economic activity and a ratcheting up in...
US stocks gained traction, benefiting from reprieve for Treasuries across the curve amid bets that the Federal Reserve will deliver multiple rate cuts this year. The S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100, and the Dow were all close to 0.5% higher. Fresh data showed that headline producer prices fell sharply in April to back the view of disinflation following the softer CPI print this week. Also, core sectors of retail sales unexpectedly contracted in the period, favoring bets that the Fed will adjust monetary policy to support the economy. Industrials, utilities, and pharmaceuticals led the gains. GE...
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...