Japanese stock markets opened sluggishly and were immediately dragged down by concerns about the state of the United States economy and the outlook for domestic corporate earnings. The electronics and pharmaceutical sectors were the biggest drags, with NEC Corp. falling 2.2% and Sumitomo Pharma plunging 4.3%. On the currency side, USD/JPY weakened to 155.85, lower than Friday's close of 156.39, adding to market sentiment. Investors are now awaiting clear signals from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government, particularly regarding her plans to strengthen the Japanese economy and warm...
Asian stock markets fluctuated at the start of the week, following the modest gains in US stocks last Friday. Investors are now turning their attention to a series of key economic data ahead of the Federal Reserve's expected interest rate cut decision this month. Amid the uncertainty, oil prices surged after OPEC+ maintained its policy of temporarily halting production increases, while silver hit another record. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures weakened after the major US indexes briefly gained 0.5% despite technical glitches on the CME. This week will be crucial for the US economic outlook....
Hong Kong's equity market commenced Tuesday's trading session with modest gains, as investors displayed cautious optimism. The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced by 86 points, or 0.33 per cent, to open at 25,945. Supporting the positive opening, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index recorded a gain of 28 points to reach 9,158, while the technology-focused index added 11 points, opening at 5,611. Trading activity revealed a divided performance within the technology sector. Industry leaders Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group registered increases of 0.3 and 0.9 per cent respectively, while...