The Nikkei 225 climbed 0.89% to close at 44,768 and the Topix added 0.4% to 3,160 on Friday, with Japanese stocks hitting fresh record highs in line with Wall Street's overnight gains. On Thursday, all three major US indexes closed at all-time highs as signs of a cooling labor market and subdued inflation fueled expectations for deeper Federal Reserve rate cuts. In Japan, investors continued to assess the Bank of Japan's policy path amid mixed economic signals and political uncertainty. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently announced his resignation, facing mounting pressure after last...
The STOXX 50 index edged up 0.1% to 5,390 points on Friday, its highest since late August, while the broader STOXX 600 also gained 0.1% to 555 points, as a jump in US jobless claims and a modest rise in inflation reinforced expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts next week and beyond. Meanwhile, the ECB signaled its rate-cutting cycle is over, with President Lagarde saying the bank is in a "good place" and that growth risks are now more balanced. In corporate news, Banco Sabadell slipped 0.6% after its board unanimously rejected BBVA's €15 billion takeover offer, urging shareholders not...
The Hang Seng Index rose 301 points, or 1.2%, to 26,387 on Friday (September 12), climbing for a sixth straight session to its highest level since August 2021. The index surged 3.8% for the week, its strongest weekly gain since March, amid record highs on Wall Street as rising US jobless claims reinforced speculation of a Fed rate cut next week, with further easing likely through the end of the year. Adding to the positive sentiment, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with Chinese Vice President He Lifeng in Madrid next week to continue talks on trade, economic, and security...