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...
Both the STOXX 50 and the STOXX 600 edged up 0.1% on Tuesday, as investors continued to monitor trade negotiations with the US ahead of the looming July 9th deadline for reciprocal tariffs. Bloomberg reported that the European Union is open to a deal involving a 10% universal tariff on many of its exports, but is seeking concessions from the US on key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft. The EU's trade chief is expected to lead a delegation to Washington this week in an effort to advance the talks, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. On...
Japan's Nikkei share average snapped a five-day winning streak to fall more than 1% on Tuesday, as investors sold stocks amid uncertainty over U.S.-Japan trade talks. The Nikkei fell 1.24% to 39,986.33, slipping from the highest level since mid-July, which it reached in the previous session. The broader Topix slipped 0.73% to 2,832.07. "The market was overheated, but there were some factors that boosted demand last month," said Hiroyuki Ueno, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management. Japanese equities mirrored a rally in U.S. stocks in the past several sessions, but...
Japanese shares slid, snapping a five-day winning streak, as a stronger yen weighed on exporters and fresh comments from Donald Trump clouded expectations for progress in US-Japan tariff negotiations. Topix Index fell 0.8% to 2,830.16 as of 10:37 a.m. Tokyo time Nikkei declined 1.1% to 40,035.03 Out of 1,681 stocks in the Topix, 433 rose and 1,191 fell, while 57 were unchanged. The yen rose as much as 0.4% against the dollar Tuesday morning, holding its gains after better-than-forecast business sentiment data. That pressured large-cap exporters and dragged down the...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday as investors assessed the record gains on Wall Street and the global impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies as his 90-day tariff reprieve is set to expire next week. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that there are "countries that are negotiating in good faith." However, he added that tariffs could still "spring back" to the levels announced on April 2 "if we can't get across the line because they are being recalcitrant." Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark fell 0.58% after hitting an over 11-month high in its previous...
U.S. stocks rose on Monday as investors looked to close out a volatile first half of 2025 with fresh record highs. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 both rose 0.5%, extending their all-time highs, while the Dow gained 207 points, helped by strong performances from Big Tech giants such as Microsoft and Meta, which also hit new peaks. Optimism grew amid signs of progress in trade negotiations, highlighted by Canada's recent decision to scrap its digital services tax targeting U.S. tech companies—an easing of tensions that had rattled markets. Investors remained focused on a July 9 deadline for...
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...