Hong Kong stocks rose 266 points, or 1.3%, to 21,324 in early trade on Thursday, led by broad sector gains. The gains followed a weak session and came amid a surge in U.S. stock futures, following an overnight sell-off on Wall Street sparked by Fed Chair Powell's warning that trade tensions could threaten the Fed's inflation and employment targets. Meanwhile, mainland Chinese markets attempted to extend their four-day winning streak after better-than-expected Q1 GDP data. Additionally, reports suggested that Beijing was seeking specific steps from President Trump before agreeing to trade...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.35% to close at 34,377 while the broader Topix index jumped 1.29% to 2,530 on Thursday, reversing losses from the previous session as progress in U.S.-Japan trade talks lifted market sentiment. President Donald Trump met with Japanese Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa, with discussions reportedly expanding to include the cost of troop deployment, adding a geopolitical dimension to the negotiations. On the economic front, Japan's March export growth missed expectations, dragged down by weak demand from China and the EU. However, a return to positive import growth...
Major European bourses traded lower on Thursday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 down 0.4% as investors digest fresh corporate earnings, look ahead to the European Central Bank's upcoming policy decision and continue to follow the trade war. Hermes shares fell 3% after the luxury brand reported a 7% year-on-year revenue increase in Q1, falling short of expectations for 7.6%. In contrast, Siemens Energy surged nearly 10% after the company raised its outlook for fiscal 2025, with first-quarter revenue and profit also exceeding forecasts. Meanwhile, the ECB is widely expected to deliver...