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...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Shipbuilding, Textile and Marine Transport sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.91%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Japan Steel Works Ltd (TYO:5631), which rose 15.86% or 843.00 points to trade at 6,159.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7011) added 10.79% or 245.50 points to end at 2,520.50 and Okuma Corp. (TYO:6103) was up 8.04% or 265.00 points to 3,560.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Mitsubishi...
Shares in Hong Kong soared 520 points or 2.2 to 24,115 on Thursday morning deals, marking the third session of gains while reaching their highest level in over three years. This followed an overnight rally on Wall Street in the wake of President Trump's announcement of a one-month exemption on auto tariffs for Mexico and Canada. Traders keenly added new positions after China projected a 5% GDP growth for 2025 during a parliamentary session, keeping the same forecast as 2024 despite trade tensions with the US. Moreover, Beijing announced plans to issue CNY 1.3 trillion in ultra-long...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Thursday, as Wall Street rose overnight after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed tariffs on certain automakers. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.76%, while the Topix climbed 0.78%. Yields of Japanese government bond yields have surged, with the 10-year Japanese bond yield hitting its highest level since 2009, data from LSEG showed. South Korea's Kospi advanced 0.61% while the small-cap Kosdaq inched up 0.38%. South Korea's consumer inflation for February rose 2% year on year, more than Reuters estimates of a 1.95% increase, and slower than the 2.2%...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.1% to surpass 37,800, while the broader Topix Index gained 1% to 2,745 on Thursday, marking a second consecutive session of gains. The rally followed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a one-month exemption for automakers from his 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The White House also indicated that Trump is open to further tariff concessions, easing concerns about potential economic fallout. Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida stated this week that the central bank could raise interest rates further if its forecasts...
Wall Street's main indexes finished higher in choppy trading on Wednesday, as investors cheered the likely easing of trade tensions between the U.S. and major trading partners. Stocks turned positive after a report said President Donald Trump was considering a one-month delay of auto tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Equities extended gains after a White House announcement confirmed that Trump agreed to delay tariffs on some vehicles. Earlier, Wall Street had lost ground following mixed economic data and as investors also worried about a trade war. "We are on the tariff roller coaster," said...
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...