The Nikkei 225 index closed higher on Thursday (October 31, 2025), driven by strong gains in technology and electronics stocks. Positive sentiment emerged after the Bank of Japan maintained its policy interest rate, while a weaker yen boosted the profit prospects of export-based issuers. Large-cap stocks, including chip, electronics, and internet stocks, led the gains. Investors also assessed the easing of US-China trade tensions following the Trump-Xi meeting, which boosted risk appetite despite not providing long-term certainty. Overall, the Nikkei closed up around 1% and held at 52.4....
European stocks edged lower on Friday (October 31st), with the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 down 0.1%, as corporate earnings remained in focus and investors continued to assess the impact of the recent US-China trade truce. Among the stocks moving, Electrolux was one of the worst performers, falling more than 2.8% after a strong rally in the previous session. Saint-Gobain extended its losses, falling more than 2%, while ASML Holding (-0.8%) and Shell (-1.3%) also traded lower. Conversely, Anheuser-Busch (2%) was among the gainers. (alg) Source: Trading Economics
The Hang Seng Index plunged 376 points, or 1.4%, to close at 25,907 on Friday, marking its third consecutive session of decline amid widespread declines across sectors. Market sentiment weakened after China's official PMI showed manufacturing activity contracted at its fastest pace in six months in October, while service sector growth remained weak. Meanwhile, the temporary US-China trade truce failed to boost confidence, with investors viewing it as a short-term respite rather than a meaningful breakthrough. Further pressure came after US Federal Reserve Chairman Powell signaled that a...