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...
Hong Kong shares rose 65 points, or 0.3%, to 23,404 in early trade on Wednesday, trying to bounce back from a near two-week low hit the previous day. Gains were led by the technology, consumer discretionary and property sectors, with traders reacting positively to trade data showing the city's exports and imports rose at the fastest pace in 13 months. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures edged higher after Wall Street posted modest overnight gains ahead of President Trump's April 2 tariff deadline. In China, Morgan Stanley raised its outlook on mainland stocks for the second time in just over a...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.7% to surpass 38,000, while the Topix Index added 0.6% to 2,814 on Wednesday, marking their second consecutive session of gains. Japanese stocks followed a strong Wall Street lead overnight, buoyed by hopes of a less aggressive stance on Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Meanwhile, investors continued to analyze the Bank of Japan's monetary policy outlook, after minutes from the January meeting suggested that policymakers remain open to further interest rate hikes. Consumer stocks led the advance, with strong gains from Nintendo (5.3%), Sony Group (2.9%), and Fast...
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher on Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street on expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs could be softer than previously expected. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 opened 0.71% higher. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.63% at the open, while the Topix gained 0.39%. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.38% while the small-cap Kosdaq traded 0.28% lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures were at 23,478, also higher than the HSI's last close of 23,344.25. The White House's planned tariffs set for April 2 are expected to be limited in scope, according to reports...
The S&P 500 posted a slim gain on Tuesday as investors built on the previous session's gains, which were largely sparked by hopes of U.S. tariffs being narrower in scope. The broad market index added 0.16% to close at 5,776.65, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.46% and ended at 18,271.86. The Dow Jones Industrial Average crept higher by 4.18 points, or 0.01%, to settle at 42,587.50. Investors largely looked past the March consumer confidence data released Tuesday, which reflected a significant drop in U.S. consumers' near-term outlook on income, business, and job conditions. The...
European markets closed higher on Tuesday as investors continued to assess the scope and breadth of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed 0.67% higher, with most sectors and all major bourses in positive territory.Germany's DAX led regional gains, up 1.13%, after a survey showed improved business sentiment in the conuntry. German biotech firm Bayer rose more than 5%, recovering from a 7% loss in the previous session after announcing over the weekend that it had been ordered by a U.S. court to pay $2.1 billion in damages relating to its Roundup...
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...