U.S. stocks edged higher on Wednesday as the market digested weak economic data while keeping an eye on trade developments. The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, the Nasdaq gained 0.4%, and the Dow gained about 50 points, extending gains for a third straight session. Tech stocks continued to provide support, although enthusiasm was tempered by disappointing labor market data. Nvidia rose 3%, surpassing Microsoft and becoming the world's most valuable public company once again. Private sector hiring rose just 37,000 in May, the weakest in more than two years, and the ISM services index fell to 49.9,...
Hongkong Stock Market Hong Kong stocks climbed 211 points or 0.9% to 23,869 on Thursday morning deals, increasing for the third session. Markets reached their highest level in two weeks, driven by broad-based sector gains and private survey data indicating a rebound in China's services activity in May, following a seven-month low in April. Optimism over potential U.S.-China trade talks also lifted sentiment as investors watched for signs of easing tensions. In other news, China has introduced a national tracking system for seven rare earth elements, following April's export restrictions and...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.2% to around 37,700 while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.6% to 2,770 on Thursday, giving back gains from the previous session as US stocks struggled for momentum overnight. The downturn followed a lackluster performance in US markets, where weak labor data raised concerns about the impact of trade policy uncertainty on the economy. The ADP report showed US private-sector hiring slowed to its lowest level in over two years. On the domestic front, data revealed a fourth straight monthly decline in real wages in April, as persistent inflation continued to...