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 100 points or 0.4% to close at 23,382 on Tuesday, partly recovering from the prior session's slump amid broad-based sector gains. Sentiment was lifted by data showing a pickup in China's industrial profits for April, suggesting resilience despite ongoing U.S. trade tensions and deflation risks. A rally in U.S. futures also supported the mood as Wall Street was set to reopen after Monday's break. Meantime, President Trump backed away from his threat to impose 50% tariffs on EU imports, restoring the original July 9 deadline. However, gains were capped by Hong Kong's April...
European shares remained stable on Tuesday, supported by defence stocks after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened additional sanctions on Russia, though broader gains were restrained by ongoing caution over U.S. trade policy shifts. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index held its ground at 551.53 points, as of 0711 GMT. The benchmark closed 1% higher in the previous session after Trump extended the tariff deadline on the European Union to July 9 from June 1. Europe's defence index rose 1% on the day after President Trump said he would recommend additional sanctions on Moscow, amid...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.58%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012), which rose 4.61% or 438.00 points to trade at 9,949.00 at the close. Meanwhile, TDK Corp (TYO:6762) added 3.12% or 47.50 points to end at 1,570.50 and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) was up 3.03% or 197.00 points to 6,695.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755),...
Hong Kong stocks added 35 points or 0.15% in early trade on Tuesday, hovering near 23,312 after a sharp drop in the previous session. Investors reacted to fresh data from China showing industrial profits rose 1.4% in the first four months of 2025, up from 0.8% in Q1, as Beijing ramped up efforts to support the sluggish economy and counter rising trade risks. On the trade front, Hong Kong's exports jumped 14.7% in April, but imports rose a faster 15.8%, widening the trade gap. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings affirmed Hong Kong's long-term foreign currency issuer default rating at AA- with a...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday as investors continued to assess global trade climate with U.S. President Donald Trump deferring 50% tariffs on European Union imports. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.21% while the broader Topix index was flat. In South Korea, the Kospi index declined 0.45%, reversing course from its three-month high in Monday's session, while the small-cap Kosdaq was flat. Mainland China's CSI 300 index rose 0.1% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was up 0.2%. China's industrial profits rose 1.4% in April, compared to 0.8% the month before. Over in...
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...