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 markets are set to start the week on a positive note, with defense stocks seen opening sharply higher after regional leaders held security talks that discussed higher military spending. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is expected to open 42 points higher at 8,846, Germany's DAX is up 135 points at 22,621, France's CAC is up 34 points at 8,124 and Italy's FTSE MIB is up 18 points at 38,798, according to data from IG. Earnings are due from Euroapi and Bunzl, and key data releases include preliminary euro zone inflation data for February, with the latest consumer price index due ahead of the...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Mining, Gas & Water and Insurance sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.81%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were IHI Corp. (TYO:7013), which rose 7.75% or 677.00 points to trade at 9,408.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Recruit Holdings Co Ltd (TYO:6098) added 6.93% or 610.00 points to end at 9,410.00 and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7011) was up 6.74% or 134.00 points to 2,121.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were DeNA Co Ltd...
Hong Kong's equities surged 370 points or 1.6% to 23,313 in early trade on Monday, reversing losses from the previous two sessions as traders reacted positively to February's PMI readings in China. Factory activity in the country grew the most in three months, a private survey data showed. Meanwhile, official figures showed the manufacturing sectors unexpectedly expanded while the service economy rose slightly faster than expected. Source: Trading Economics
The Nikkei 225 Index surged 0.9% to around 37,500, while the broader Topix Index gained 1.1% to 2,711 on Monday, recovering some of last week's losses, supported by Wall Street's strong finish on Friday. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the March 4 deadline for US President Donald Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10% duty on Chinese goods. Geopolitical concerns also remained, as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to reach an agreement on Friday that could potentially end the war in Ukraine. Domestically, Japan's...
Asia-Pacific markets were set to rise Monday as investors awaited clarity about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to impose impose tariffs this week on key U.S. trading partners. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly told Fox News on Sunday that the exact tariff that will be levied against Mexico and Canada starting Tuesday is still "fluid," which means it could be lower than the proposed 25%. He added that the additional 10% duty on China imports is "set." Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 37,745 while its...
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...