The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.7% to below 38,400, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.6% to 2,696 on Monday, mirroring losses on Wall Street as the post-election rally continued to lose momentum and concerns over a slower pace of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve weighed on sentiment. Japanese stocks also faced pressure from a sharp rebound in the yen on Friday. On the economic front, investors reacted to data showing a surprising decline in Japan's machinery orders in September. Looking ahead, markets are focused on key economic releases later this week, including Japanese...
European equity markets were set to open higher on Monday, as investors looked ahead to key inflation data from the Eurozone and the UK later this week, which could offer insights into the region's monetary policy direction. Markets were also awaiting remarks from key central bank officials for further clues on future policy moves. Moreover, European futures tracked US futures higher as investors prepared for Nvidia's earnings report this week, with traders watching for guidance about the demand for its Blackwell AI chips. In premarket trade, Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 futures were both up...
The Hang Seng rose 150 points or 0.8% to close at 19,577 on Monday, breaking a six-session of losses after China urged listed companies to lift share prices through mergers and acquisitions, employee stock schemes, cash dividends, and share buybacks. However, the index trimmed early rises following Morgan Stanley's downgrade of Hong Kong shares to "underweight" from "market weight". Most sectors advanced, notably financials, consumers, and tech. Geely Auto jumped 4.4% after Jefferies kept a "buy" rating, citing restructuring efforts to improve efficiencies. Some traders were cautious ahead...