European stocks declined on Wednesday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 slipping nearly 0.2%, reversing modest gains from the previous session, with investors continuing to focus on fresh corporate earnings. Hermès fell more than 2% after its results disappointed investors, while L'Oréal dropped 0.8% following second-quarter sales that missed forecasts. HSBC tumbled 4.4% despite reporting revenue growth and announcing a $3 billion share buyback. Adidas sank nearly 8% after posting weaker-than-expected revenue growth and warning that tariffs would raise prices in the US. In contrast,...
The Nikkei 225 Index shed 0.05% to close at 40,655 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.4% to 2,920 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares struggling for clear direction as investors braced for the latest Bank of Japan monetary policy decision. The central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday amid uncertainty over the economic fallout from recent US tariffs. However, the central bank is likely to raise its inflation forecast in its quarterly outlook, reflecting ongoing price pressures. Investors also weighed prospects of another extension to the tariff truce...
Hong Kong stocks fell for the second session, down 46 points or 0.2% to 25,469 on Wednesday morning, after U.S.-China trade talks ended without a meaningful breakthrough. While extending the current tariff truce remains possible, Treasury Secretary Bessent said President Trump will have the final say. Caution also prevailed ahead of the Fed's rate decision later today, with analysts noting most Fed officials prefer to wait and assess the inflationary impact of tariffs before acting, especially with Trump's August 1 tariff deadline looming. Tech shares led the fall, followed by consumers...
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average is flat at 40681.72, as gains in electronics and brokerage shares offset declines in auto and pharmaceutical stocks. NEC Corp. is up 6.4% and Daiwa Securities Group is higher by 2.7%, while Honda Motor is down 1.7% and Chugai Pharmaceutical falls 1.2%. USD/JPY is at 148.27, compared with 148.25 as of Tuesday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing on quarterly earnings as well as any domestic political developments. Source: Marketwatch