Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he continues to believe the U.S. central bank should cut interest rates at the end of this month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures. "It makes sense to cut the FOMC's policy rate by 25 basis points two weeks from now," Waller told a gathering of the Money Marketeers of New York University. "I see the hard and soft data on economic activity and the labor market as consistent: The economy is still growing, but its momentum...
Japanese stocks rose after the close on Tuesday (1/21), as gains in the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Rubber sectors helped stocks advance. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was up 0.30%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506), which rose 4.02% or 22.00 points to trade at 569.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Lasertec Corp (TYO:6920) gained 2.86% or 430.00 points to close at 15,475.00 and Renesas Electronics Corp (TYO:6723) gained 2.21% or 45.00 points to 2,079.00 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Kawasaki Heavy Industries,...
Hong Kong stocks rose 142 points, or 0.7%, to 20,067 on Tuesday (21/1), marking a sixth session of gains while holding at a three-week high. The bullish momentum emerged after Donald Trump did not target China in his inauguration speech on Monday, nor did he immediately impose previously threatened tariffs. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged policymakers to adopt more proactive macroeconomic policies this year to maintain growth momentum. The property sector led the gains, with struggling Country Garden shares surging nearly 20% after resuming trading after a nine-month...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5%, above 39,000, while the broader Topix index gained 0.35%, reaching 2,720 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session. The rally followed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision not to impose new tariffs on his first day in office, easing concerns for Japanese exporters. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan's upcoming monetary policy decision this week, as BOJ officials have hinted at a potential interest rate hike. The move would raise Japan's short-term borrowing costs to 0.5%, the highest level since the 2008 global...
Asia-Pacific markets are expected to strengthen on Tuesday (21/1), as investors await further clarity on policies that US President Donald Trump will announce after his inauguration. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index started the day up 0.52%, while the Topix rose 0.33%. Meanwhile, South Korea's Kospi started trading 0.97% higher, while the Kosdaq gained 0.62%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 led gains in Asia, up 1.2%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were last trading at 20,278, indicating a stronger open compared with the HSI's close of 19,925.81. The index hit its highest...
Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by Chief Justice John Roberts. Alongside him, JD Vance took the oath of vice presidency, administered by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In his inauguration speech, President Trump promised the beginning of a golden era for America. He is set to initiate a series of executive actions, as per incoming White House officials. These potentially include the commencement of a process to terminate birthright citizenship and the declaration of a national emergency on the US-Mexico border....
According to a statement by the Federal Reserve (Fed), Fed Chair Jerome Powell met with United States (US) President Donald Trump on Thursday, where the head of the Fed reiterated that the Fed's...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...