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...
European stock markets reversed early gains to close lower, capping a turbulent week dominated by escalating trade tensions between the US and China, which reignited fears of a global recession and triggered an aggressive pivot away from US assets. The STOXX 50 fell 0.6% and the broader STOXX 600 slipped 0.2%. China's finance ministry announced additional tariffs of 125% on U.S. goods, in response to President Trump's decision a day earlier to raise levies on Chinese imports to 145%. In Europe, the EU temporarily suspended its planned retaliatory tariffs for a 90-day period, mirroring...
Stocks slipped Friday as traders weighed the latest developments on the tariff front as they wrap up a wild week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 140 points lower, or 0.4%. The S&P 500 shed 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite pulled back by 0.2%. This week has been one of the most volatile periods on record for Wall Street. The major averages tumbled Thursday as traders went into risk-off mode, with trade policy uncertainty weighing on sentiment, losing a chunk of the historic gains seen on Wednesday after Trump announced a 90-day reprieve on some of his high "reciprocal"...
The Hang Seng climbed 233 points or 1.1% to close at 20,915 on Friday, rebounding from morning losses as US futures rose sharply after President Biden said the first phase of trade talks was "very close," fueling optimism that China may return to the negotiating table. The index closed in the green for the fourth day, tracking mainland markets, buoyed by Beijing's efforts to stabilize financial markets this week, including stock purchases by a state fund and state-owned firms. Several listed companies also launched share buybacks. Gains were broad-based, led by tech, financials, and...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 2.96% to close at 33,585, while the broader Topix Index fell 2.85% to 2,467 on Friday, giving back gains from the previous session as Japanese stocks tracked Wall Street's steep losses. The decline came amid growing concerns over the economic fallout from the escalating U.S.-China trade war. The White House confirmed that cumulative tariffs on Chinese imports have surged to 145%, intensifying fears of a prolonged trade conflict. Despite President Trump's 90-day tariff reprieve aimed at opening space for negotiations, uncertainty remains high over the outcome of...
European stock markets opened slightly higher in early trade on Friday as a volatile week for shares nears its end and concerns about a trade war between the U.S. and China persist. The pan-European Stoxx 600 opened up 0.4%, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 inching up by 0.5%, while Germany's Dax and France's CAC 40 were higher by 0.4% at 8.10 am London time. All sectors of the stock market, except energy, were trading in positive territory. It has been a choppy week for European, and global, markets as investors have been reacting to the frequent developments in global trade policy that were set...
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...