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 Wednesday, as gains in the Shipbuilding, Paper & Pulp and Non-Metal Minerals sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.47%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were M3 Inc (TYO:2413), which rose 19.27% or 268.00 points to trade at 1,659.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Fujikura Ltd. (TYO:5803) added 10.35% or 691.00 points to end at 7,366.00 and Taiheiyo Cement Corp. (TYO:5233) was up 9.89% or 381.00 points to 4,235.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Kuraray Co., Ltd....
European markets are heading for a positive open Wednesday as global markets await the latest inflation reading out of the U.S. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 4 points higher at 8,785, Germany's DAX up 75 points at 22,104, France's CAC up 12 points at 8,042 and Italy's FTSE MIB 102 points higher at 37,798, according to data from IG. Global market focus is on the latest U.S. consumer price index report for January that will be published on Wednesday. Headline inflation is expected to have grown 0.3% from the prior month and 2.9% from 12 months earlier, according to Dow...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose Wednesday as investors digested U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff impact on regional economies. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, meanwhile, re-emphasized on Tuesday the central bank's focus on curbing inflation and signaled that policymakers were not in a rush to push interest rates lower. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 traded up 0.31%. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.21% after resuming trading following a holiday, while the Topix slid 0.22%. South Korea's Kospi added 0.29% and the small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.36%.Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.05% while...
Shares in Hong Kong soared 394 points or 1.8% to 21,685 in early trade on Wednesday, swinging from a 1.0% fall in the previous session amid solid gains across sectors. The Hang Seng touched its highest level in four months following a pledge from China's cabinet to spur spending and lure foreign investment ahead of an annual legislative gathering in March. In the US, Fed Chair Powell told Congress on Tuesday that the central bank is in no rush to cut borrowing costs and that it would be unwise to speculate on tariff policy at this time. Capping further gains was news that US President Trump...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.25% to 39,900, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.2% to 2,725 in mixed trading on Wednesday, as Japanese stocks struggled for direction following a one-day holiday. Market sentiment was influenced by mixed results on Wall Street, amid President Trump's latest tariff escalation and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments suggesting the central bank is in no rush to cut interest rates further. In Japan, investors turned their attention to upcoming economic data, with machinery tool orders due Wednesday and producer inflation data expected Thursday. Among...
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...