European stocks recovered from earlier losses to close above the flatline on Thursday, erasing the slight pullback from last session as markets digested a batch of earnings results and assessed how trade barriers may jeopardize economic growth. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 closed marginally higher at 5,410 and the pan-European STOXX 60 gained 0.5% to close at 546. Healthcare stocks rebounded as investors took advantage of lower valuations due to US President Trump's signals of caps on drug prices, lifting Bayer and Sanofi shares by 3% and 1%, respectively. Utilities also advanced sharply with...
US stocks fell on Thursday, with the three major indexes down nearly 0.3%, as investors digested a slew of economic data and concerns about the economic outlook resurfaced. Retail sales rose 0.1% in April, compared with expectations for no change. However, core retail sales, which are more directly linked to GDP, fell 0.3%. Meanwhile, producer prices unexpectedly fell 0.5%, driven largely by a decline in margins, suggesting companies may be absorbing some cost pressures from higher tariffs. Energy, consumer goods and health care were the biggest losers. Apple shares fell 0.2% after President...
The Hang Seng fell 187 points or 0.8% to close at 23,453 on Thursday, reversing early gains and pulling back from a strong rally in the previous session. All sectors declined, weighed by tech, property, and consumer stocks. Sentiment weakened as mainland Chinese markets turned lower after a three-day bullish mood. Caution also grew after Wednesday's data showed a plunge to a 20-year low in China's new bank loans for April, reflecting weak demand and ongoing pressure from the U.S.–China trade tensions. Even news that Beijing had rolled back a rare earth export ban amid easing trade disputes...
European stocks opened firmly in negative territory as investors digested earnings updates from a number of companies across the continent. The Stoxx Europe 600 and France's CAC 40 were down 0.4%, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were down 0.5% as of 8:25 a.m. in London. Elsewhere in the currency market, the British pound gained 0.2% after better-than-expected U.K. gross domestic product figures for the first quarter. Shares of German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp plunged 8% shortly after the opening bell Thursday, sending the company to the bottom of the regional Stoxx 600...