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...
The Hang Seng fell 23 points or 0.12% to end at 19,823 on Wednesday, closing in the red for the fourth session amid a sharp drop in US futures as concerns built that US President-elect Donald Trump's planned policies might fuel inflation and slow the pace of interest rate cuts. Markets hit their lowest in nearly seven weeks, dragged by the potential appointment of China hawks to key US cabinet positions, which could lead to a tougher stance on trade and tariffs against Beijing. Property and financials mainly retreated, with investors staying vigilant ahead of key US inflation data and...
European equity markets were poised for a lower open on Wednesday as investors prepared for key US inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve's next policy move. Market participants also continued to assess the potential impact of US President-elect Donald Trump's policies on European economies and financial markets. Traders will focus on earnings reports from several major European companies, including ABN Amro, Allianz, Siemens Energy, SSE, and RWE, while no major economic data is scheduled for release. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 futures were down...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.7% to around 39,100 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.3% to 2,733 on Wednesday, tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as the market took a breather from the postelection rally. Domestically, data showed that Japan's producer prices rose at the fastest pace in 14 months in October, highlighting ongoing inflationary pressures. Investors also continued to evaluate the impact of Japan's 10 trillion yen stimulus plan for AI chipmakers which aims to strengthen critical supply chains amid ongoing US-China trade tensions. Technology stocks led the declines, with...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.7% to around 39,100 while the broader Topix index fell 0.3% to 2,733 on Wednesday, tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as markets took a breather from a post-election rally. Domestically, data showed that Japanese producer prices rose at the fastest pace in 14 months in October, highlighting ongoing inflationary pressures. Investors also continued to assess the impact of Japan's 10 trillion yen stimulus plan for AI chipmakers aimed at strengthening critical supply chains amid ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions. Technology stocks led the declines, with...
Asia-Pacific stock markets opened lower on Wednesday, tracking declines on Wall Street as the post-election rally in the U.S. stalled overnight. Asian traders were assessing corporate goods data from Japan, which showed year-on-year growth in producer prices, or wholesale inflation, in October hit its highest since July last year at 3.4%. That was higher than the 3% growth expected by economists polled by Reuters, and a 2.8% increase in September. Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading down 0.5% at the open, while the Topix was down 0.3%. South Korea's Kospi was down 1.1%, while the Kosdaq...
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...