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...
Asia-Pacific markets advanced Wednesday after Wall Street rose on the back of a tech rally, led by chipmaker Nvidia, with South Korean stocks leading gains. Shares in the artificial intelligence darling advanced nearly 3%, extending Monday's gains and driving Nvidia's market cap past Microsoft's for the first time since January. Chip companies Broadcom and Micron Technology rose more than 3% and 4%, respectively. South Korean markets rose as opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung won the presidential election. The Kospi index popped 2.44% to hit its highest level since August last year,...
U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, buoyed by tech strength, solid jobs data and hopes for progress on trade. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Dow gained 214 points and the Nasdaq gained 0.8%, led by a 2.8% rally in Nvidia that briefly made it the most valuable public company. Other chipmakers such as Broadcom (+3.3%) and Micron (+4.1%) also rose sharply, adding to the chip-driven momentum. A stronger-than-expected JOLTS report showed job openings rose by 191,000 to 7.391 million in April, signaling resilience in the labor market despite trade headwinds. However, the OECD cut its 2025 U.S. growth...
European stocks closed mostly flat on Tuesday, recovering from losses of more than 1% earlier in the session after weaker-than-expected euro zone inflation data reinforced expectations for a 25 basis point interest rate cut by the ECB later this week. Meanwhile, global growth concerns weighed on sentiment after the OECD cut its outlook, projecting world GDP to slow from 3.3% in 2024 to 2.9% in 2025 and 2026, citing rising trade tensions. Adding to market jitters, political instability in the Netherlands deepened as the government collapsed over disagreements on immigration policy. In...
Stocks were little changed Tuesday, following modest gains seen in the first session of June, as growth concerns increased and traders awaited more details on potential U.S. trade deals. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each hovered around the flatline. The Nasdaq Composite, however, was higher by 0.4%. Tuesday's declines follow the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cutting its U.S. growth outlook. The OECD now sees the U.S. economy expanding by just 1.6%, down from 2.2%. Treasury yields declined, as traders sought out safety. The benchmark 10-year...
The Hang Seng surged 354 points or 1.5% to end at 23,512 on Tuesday, reversing Monday's losses amid strength in all sectors. Hopes that President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping may speak this week boosted sentiment, signaling a potential easing in trade tensions. Meantime, Finance Secretary Paul Chan reaffirmed Hong Kong's 2025 GDP growth target of 2% to 3%, citing solid Q1 data as well as recent monetary easing and business support measures in China. In corporate news, Vodafone and CK Hutchison finalized their UK merger, launching VodafoneThree with plans to invest £11 billion over...
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...