White House economic advisers on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dismissing criticism that Trump's actions could undermine confidence in official U.S. economic data. On Sunday, Trump again criticized BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, without providing evidence of wrongdoing, and said he would appoint a new BLS commissioner in the next three or four days. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBS that Trump has "real concerns" about the BLS data, while Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said the...
The Nikkei 225 edged up 0.06% to close at 39,811, while the broader Topix slipped 0.04% to 2,828 on Friday, with both indexes ending the session virtually flat as renewed concerns over US tariff policy dampened investor sentiment. Market caution intensified after President Donald Trump announced plans to begin issuing letters on trade matters, potentially setting unilateral tariff rates. Trump has previously threatened to raise tariffs on Japanese goods by up to 35%, citing dissatisfaction with Japan's limited imports of American rice and automobiles. On the domestic front, household...
The Hong Kong stock market experienced a low opening followed by an expanded decline. The Hang Seng Index opened down by 169 points or 0.7%, standing at 23,900 points, breaching the 24,000 mark once more. The latest data reflects a drop of 377 points or 1.57%, settling at 23,692 points. The state-owned enterprise index also saw a downturn of 129 points or 1.5%, reaching 8,518 points, while the technology index reported 5,129 points, marking a decline of 103 points or 1.98%. The main board witnessed transactions exceeding 89.7 billion Hong Kong dollars. At 10.50am, the Hang Seng Index was...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Friday after Wall Street gained on a better-than-expected jobs report eased investors' concerns of a slowdown in the U.S. economy. Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark was flat in choppy trade while the broader Topix index added 0.15%. In South Korea, the Kospi index fell 0.56% while the small-cap Kosdaq declined by 0.8%. Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 moved up 0.21%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 23,991, pointing to a lower open compared to the HSI's last close of 24,069.94. Overnight stateside, U.S. stocks rose with the broad-based...
Japanese stocks rebounded Friday, tracking fresh highs in US markets, as robust jobs data alleviated fears of an economic slowdown. The Nikkei 225 opened 208.74 points higher at 39,785.90, buoyed by positive global sentiment. US markets closed higher ahead of the House passing President Donald Trump's $4.5 trillion tax cut bill, despite earlier deficit concerns. At home, Japan's household spending rose 4.7% year on year in May, driven by higher car purchases, providing support for Japan's economy amid US tariff pressures. Source: MTN newswires
The three major U.S. indexes rose more than 0.8% on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 closing at record highs as nonfarm payrolls rose by 147,000 in June, well above consensus estimates of 110,000, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.1%, reinforcing views of a resilient economy. Tech leaders advanced, with Nvidia up 1.3% and Synopsys jumping 4.2% on strong earnings momentum driven by AI and the White House's decision to lift export restrictions on chip design software to China. Meanwhile, broader market optimism was supported by progress on a U.S.-Vietnam trade deal...
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
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Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
The U.S. will levy a 30% tariff on South African exports next week, after Pretoria failed to reach a trade deal before President Donald Trump's deadline. The new rate is part of a broader executive...