The dollar continued its strengthening for a second day, pressuring all G-10 currencies; the Japanese yen slumped for a fourth session to its weakest level since March before paring losses. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose about 0.6% in two days. USD/JPY strengthened 0.4% to 150.89. It reached its Tuesday session high of 151.03, a level last seen on March 28. Further gains in the pair would put the March high of 151.30 in sight. EUR/USD fell 0.4% to 1.167, falling for the fourth time in five days. GBP/USD fell 0.6% to 1.3407 after two days of gains. USD/CAD rose 0.1% to 1.3955. US...
Major European bourses started the week in positive territory after President Trump announced a delay in the planned 50% tariff on the European Union, extending the deadline to July 9. The move came following a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who stated that "Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively," but noted that "a good deal" would require time, "until July 9. Under the reciprocal tariff framework announced in April, the EU had been facing a 20% levy, which was temporarily reduced to 10% through the new deadline. Autos, banks,...
The Hang Seng Index started the day down by 95 points or 0.4%, closing at 23,505 points. The H-share index dropped by 33 points or 0.38%, settling at 8,550 points, while the tech index fell by 16 points or 0.32%, ending at 5,229 points. In the tech sector, Tencent saw a decrease of 0.5%, Alibaba dropped by 0.2%, Meituan fell by 0.5%, Xiaomi Group by 0.7%, JD.com by 0.8%, and Kuaishou by 0.5%. MINISO's performance faced a sharp decline of 14.7% following recent news. Among financial stocks, performances varied, with HSBC Holdings declining by 0.9%, AIA Group by 0.1%, China Ping An by 0.3%,...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Friday as investors assess a slew of economic data from the region. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.47% to close at 37,160.47 and the Topix climbed 0.68% to close at 2,735.52. South Korea's Kospi traded flat to close at 2,592.09 while the small-cap Kosdaq was down 0.24% to end the trading day at 715.98. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.15% to close at 8,360.9. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index and mainland China's CSI 300 traded flat. The U.S. and China agreed to maintain communication following a call between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.5% to around 37,350 while the broader Topix Index added 0.3% to 2,744 on Monday, extending gains from the previous session as market sentiment was buoyed by US President Donald Trump's decision to delay the implementation of 50% tariffs on the EU. A retreat in the safe-haven yen also supported Japanese shares by easing currency-related pressure on exporters. Meanwhile, investors continued to monitor the Bank of Japan's policy outlook, with expectations growing that the central bank will raise interest rates further in response to persistent inflation. Industrial...
US stocks slumped on Friday after Donald Trump escalated trade tensions by threatening tariffs on Apple and the European Union. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.9% and the Dow dropped 256 points. Apple shares plunged 3%, pushing its valuation below $3 trillion, after Trump demanded that iPhones sold in the US be made domestically or face 25% tariffs. He also proposed a 50% tariff on all EU imports starting June 1 as trade talks stalled, renewing concerns about protectionist policies. Technology stocks led the decline, with names such as Micron, Qualcomm and Nvidia...
European stocks closed sharply lower on Friday after US President Trump said he was recommending 50% tariffs on the European Union, potentially taking away demand from Europe's main export source. The eurozone STOXX 50 fell 1.9% to 5,322 and the pan-European STOXX 600 dropped to 545. Carmakers, luxury brands and textile producers led the losses due to their heavy reliance on US consumers, with Mercedes Benz, BMW, Stellantis, Hermes and Inditex down between 4.5% and 2%. Meanwhile, the possibility of retaliation by the European Commission weighed on banks, with Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit and...
Stocks declined Friday after President Donald Trump ramped up his trade fight again, slapping a tariff on Apple for foreign-made iPhones and recommending new stiffer duties on the European Union. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 284 points, or 0.7%. The S&P 500 shed 0.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1%. Apple shares shed more than 2% after Trump posted on Truth Social that iPhones sold in the U.S. must be made in the U.S. and if they are not "a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple." The move against Apple by Trump is the first against a specific company in his tariff...
The Hang Seng rose 57 points or 0.24% to close at 23,601 on Friday, rebounding from sharp losses in the prior session amid gains in financials. Sentiment improved after the PBoC injected CNY 500 billion into the system through its one-year lending facility. The central bank also lowered the cap on deposit rates to support bank profitability and encourage spending over saving. For the week, the index added 1.1%, marking its sixth straight weekly rise—the longest streak since February—boosted by strong IPO momentum. Meanwhile, Beijing and Washington remained in high-level contact during a...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....