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...
European stocks closed mostly lower on Monday as markets assessed the extent of U.S. tariffs on major trading partners. The STOXX 50 fell 0.4% to 5,305 and the STOXX 200 lost 0.4% to 542. U.S. officials helped make progress on negotiations with key partners such as China and the European Union, while Canada scrapped a planned Digital Services Tax following President Trump's announcement over the weekend that he would halt all trade discussions with Canada. Monday also marked the official start of the U.K.-U.S. trade deal brokered last month. On the data front, inflation in Germany...
European stocks closed mostly lower on Monday as markets assessed the level of US tariffs against major trading partners. The STOXX 50 dropped 0.4% to 5,305 and the STOXX fell 0.4% to 542. US officials said negotiations with major partners such as China and the European Union are making progress, while Canada scrapped its planned Digital Services Tax following President Trump's announcement over the weekend that he would terminate all trade discussions with Canada. Monday also marked the official start of the UK-US trade deal that was brokered last month. On the data front, inflation in...
US stocks were firmly higher on Monday, extending the sharp gains from the previous week as the softer stance on tariffs by the US government allowed markets to focus on signs of multiple rate cuts by the Fed this year. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 advanced around 0.5% each to reach new record highs, while the Dow added over 200 points. White House officials announced that the US and China had formally reached an agreement to prevent the return of tariff exchanges that topped levies at 145%. Additionally, President Trump noted that he is open to extending the July 9th deadline for...
The Hang Seng fell 212 points, or 0.9%, to close at 24,072 on Monday, down for a third straight session as all sectors declined. Sentiment was weighed down by a third straight monthly decline in China's manufacturing sector in June, ahead of similar results from a private survey due on Tuesday. Financials led the decline, followed by property, technology and consumer discretionary. Significant losers included Bank of China Hong Kong (-5.5%), Li Auto (-3.3%), Meituan (-2.9%) and Tencent Hlds. (-1.5%). On the positive side, Laopu Gold surged to a record high, buoyed by high gold prices, even...
European stocks opened in the green on Monday, with the Stoxx 600 index up 0.1% in early deals, building on last week's gains. Global sentiment appears broadly robust, with Asia-Pacific stocks turning mixed but U.S. futures remaining higher. In Europe, sectors are mixed, with autos down 0.6% and banks slipping 0.25% as financial services gain 0.6%. Beneficiaries of the U.K.-U.S. trade deal, which took effect this morning, are slightly higher, having already notched strong gains on the previous announcement. Those include engine-maker Rolls-Royce, up 0.6%, and German automaker BMW,...
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...