The Hang Seng Index fell 393 points, or 1.5%, to 25,217 on Tuesday (December 16), closing at a nearly four-week low and extending the previous session's sharp decline as mainland Chinese stocks slumped further and traders grew nervous ahead of key US economic data this week. Meanwhile, China's economy showed more signs of slowing in November, with disappointing industrial output and retail sales. Property stocks led the decline amid concerns of a prolonged downturn, particularly after China Vanke said it would hold a second bondholder meeting after failing to secure approval to extend a...
Stocks fell slightly on Tuesday as traders digested the delayed release of the November's jobs report. The S&P 500 fell 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite pulled back about 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around the flatline. November's jobs report came in better than expected, showing an increase of 64,000 jobs for the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones predicted that nonfarm payrolls would grow by 45,000 in the period. However, the BLS reported that October shed 105,000 jobs. The unemployment rate also increased to 4.6%,...
European stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.5% and the broader STOXX 600 slipping 0.4%, as optimism around Russia–Ukraine peace efforts prompted investors to reassess the outlook for military spending and weighed on defense shares. Defense names declined sharply, led by Rheinmetall (-4.6%), alongside losses in BAE Systems (-1.7%), Leonardo (-3.9%) and Thales (-1.6%). Technology heavyweights also pressured the market, with ASML Holding down 2.1% and SAP falling 1.4%, as softer global growth signals dampened appetite for cyclical tech exposure. In contrast, LVMH...