The US economy is slowing, according to a monthly index released Monday, increasing the likelihood that policymakers will cut interest rates next month. The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index fell slightly to minus 0.19 in July from a downwardly revised minus 0.18 in June. A reading below zero indicates slower growth than the long-term average. Employment indicators remained negative on the index, a fresh sign of fragility in the US labor market. This weakness is one of the main reasons for a rate cut at the Fed's policy meeting next month. Central bank Chairman Jerome Powell last week...
Hong Kong's shares increased 37 points or 0.2% to 19,735 on Thursday, marking the second session of gains amid strength mainly from the consumer sector. Investors considered remarks from Fed Boston President Susan Collins, who stated that additional interest-rate cuts are necessary, but policymakers should move neither too quickly nor too slowly. At the same time, traders monitored Trump's administration picks, particularly his choice for the Treasury secretary role. In China, stock markets were muted after the PBoC Wednesday held its key lending rates steady at record lows to help the...
The Nikkei 225 Index declined by 0.8% to around 38,030, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.2% to 2,693 on Thursday, as Japanese shares hit multi-week lows, largely driven by losses in the technology sector. The drop followed a sharp decline in Nvidia's stock after-hours, despite the company reporting better-than-expected quarterly results and providing strong forward guidance. Nvidia's struggles weighed heavily on the broader tech sector, with notable losses from Advantest (-4.1%), Disco (-2.7%), Lasertec (-1.4%), SoftBank Group (-2.4%), and Tokyo Electron (-1.4%). Other key index...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell on Thursday, with investors watching tech shares in the region after chipmaker Nvidia reported better-than-expected results. Nvidia reported a 94% year-on-year surge in revenue for the third quarter to $35.08 billion. However, that is still a consecutive slowdown from the previous three quarters, when sales rose 122%, 262%, and 265%, respectively. Net income during the quarter rose to $19.3 billion, versus $9.24 billion in the same period a year ago. All eyes are on Indian stocks related to billionaire Gautam Adani, after the chair of India's Adani Group...
US stocks struggled to find footing in the final minutes of Wednesday trading as investors braced for Nvidia Corp. earnings and weighed the latest Ukraine-Russia tensions. The dollar rose. The S&P 500 ended the day little changed as did the Nasdaq 100. The technology heavy gauge fell more than 1% intraday following Ukraine's missile strikes on Russia. Investors are awaiting Nvidia Corp.'s quarterly results after the market close to gauge if the stock can continue its remarkable run. Shares of the world's most valuable company fell 0.8% at the...
European markets traded higher Wednesday as investors keep an eye on a spike in tensions in the Ukraine-Russia war. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.3% higher by mid-afternoon, with the majority of sectors in positive territory. The FTSE 100 was broadly flat after data released earlier showed U.K. inflation picked up sharply to a higher-than-expected 2.3% in October. The best performer on the Stoxx 600 index was Sage Group, up around 19%, after the British software company reported a better-than-expected 21% rise in full-year operating profit. The worst performer on the index was national...
President Donald Trump said he would fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors if she does not resign her post over mortgage-fraud accusations from a top...
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...