The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) followed the broader stock market lower on Tuesday, with equities taking a soft hit ahead of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) upcoming rate call on Wednesday. Investors are also awaiting any meaningful update from the Trump administration on a slew of trade deals that are allegedly in the works. Still, details remain light to the point of being non-existent. The Fed is broadly expected to keep rates on hold on Wednesday, but Fed talking points will be taking on added significance for market participants hoping for signs of a pivot into a rate-cutting cycle...
The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes rose on Wednesday, with Japanese shares holding near a one-month high as optimism over potential US-China trade talks lifted market sentiment. Reports that senior US officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland this week fueled hopes for easing tensions, supporting gains across global markets. Investors are also monitoring developments in ongoing bilateral US-Japan trade talks, with Tokyo aiming to finalize a deal by June. Adding to the positive tone, Japan's services PMI for April was revised up, showing the strongest increase in new...
Hong Kong markets jumped more than 2% to lead gains in Asia-Pacific after China's central bank and financial regulator announced sweeping plans to cut benchmark interest rates in a bid to shore up growth amid trade concerns. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.07%. Elsewhere, markets in the region were mostly higher after reports that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and trade representative Jamieson Greer will meet their Chinese counterparts this week. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.22% while the Topix gained 0.38%. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.32% while the small-cap Kosdaq...