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 rose 184 points, or 0.8%, to close at a nearly three-month high of 24,349 on Wednesday, recovering from a slight decline in the previous session while extending its upward momentum since early June amid broad sector strength. Optimism grew over progress in U.S.-China trade talks, although further details on an agreed framework were awaited. Significant gains in mainland stocks also lifted sentiment, helping offset a mild decline in U.S. futures ahead of key inflation data. In corporate news, Chinese automakers pledged to shorten supplier payment terms amid an escalating price...
European shares were subdued on Wednesday ahead of a crucial inflation report out of the U.S., while investors assessed the impact of a potential U.S.-China agreement on the trade war. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.1% at 553.85 points at 0705 GMT. Late on Tuesday, U.S. and Chinese officials said they had agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths, and remove some from the U.S. The agreement will be taken back to the leaders of the two countries for approval. In Europe, carmakers that would benefit from the...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 added 0.49%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436), which rose 10.51% or 104.00 points to trade at 1,094.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. (TYO:3099) added 5.74% or 128.00 points to end at 2,358.00 and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) was up 4.80% or 1,140.00 points to 24,880.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Hino Motors, Ltd....
The Hang Seng Index initiated the day by rising 28 points to 24,191 points, currently showing a 60-point increase or 0.25%, reaching 24,223 points. Concurrently, the H-share index climbed by 29 points or 0.33%, reaching 8,796 points, and the technology index saw a gain of 26 points or 0.48%, reaching 5,418 points. In the tech sector, stocks demonstrated overall stability, with Tencent rising by 0.4%, Alibaba by 1.1%, Meituan by 0.4%, Xiaomi Group by 0.6%, and Kuaishou witnessing a slight decline of 0.1%. Across the financial domain, individual movements were observed, notably with HSBC...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.5% to around 38,400 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.2% to 2,791 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares rising for the fourth straight session as signs of progress in US-China trade talks supported market sentiment. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that two sides have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between their respective presidents. On the domestic front, Japan's producer prices rose 3.2% year-on-year in May, the slowest pace in eight months, easing some inflation concerns. Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Governor...
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...