Oil prices rose slightly in trading on Tuesday (January 20) after better-than-expected Chinese economic data boosted demand optimism. Brent crude rose 19 cents (0.3%) to $64.13/barrel, while February WTI which expires today rose 25 cents (0.4%) to $59.69/barrel. The more active March WTI contract also edged higher to around $59.42/barrel. This strengthening was driven by news from China, the world's largest oil importer. The Chinese economy reportedly grew 5.0% through 2025, meeting the government's target. Refinery activity also increased, with refinery throughput rising 4.1% and crude oil...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.51% to hit a new 1-month high. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were NTT Data Corp. (TYO:9613), which rose 14.26% or 498.00 points to trade at 3,990.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (TYO:2802) added 7.40% or 223.00 points to end at 3,238.00 and Kao Corp. (TYO:4452) was up 6.40% or 387.00 points to 6,431.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Mitsubishi Heavy...
Hong Kong shares rose 60 points, or 0.2%, to 22,841 on Friday morning, extending gains for a seventh straight session and holding around a one-month high. Positive sentiment from Wall Street overnight supported sentiment after US President Trump suggested tariffs on Chinese goods could be eased if upcoming trade talks in Switzerland go smoothly—the first formal negotiations between the US and China. Investors also cheered a major trade deal between the US and the UK. Financial and consumer stocks led gains, while property and technology stocks lagged. However, further gains were capped by...
The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.2% to above 37,300 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.9% to 2,720 on Friday, with Japanese shares hitting six-week highs, tracking a rally on Wall Street overnight as President Donald Trump unveiled a trade deal with the UK, the first since the US imposed sweeping tariffs last month. On the domestic front, investor sentiment was buoyed by data showing a stronger-than-expected rise in personal spending in March, signaling resilience in consumer demand. However, a continued decline in real wages—down for the third consecutive month—tempered optimism about the...
Stocks rose Thursday after President Donald Trump announced a trade deal framework between the U.S. and United Kingdom, the first major agreement hatched since the U.S. launched pre-emptive tariffs on most of the globe earlier this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Averag gained 254.48 points, or 0.62%, to settle at 41,368.45. The S&P 500 rose 0.58% and closed at 5,663.94. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.07% to end at 17,928.14. Trump announced the deal outline from the Oval Office with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on speakerphone. A 10% baseline tariff will remain on the U.K.,...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained ground on Thursday, climbing over 650 points or 1.6% after the Trump administration announced an incoming (but still not signed) trade deal with the United Kingdom (UK). Under the trade deal, most imports from the UK will still see a 10% tariff across the board, but markets are taking the news as a sign that the Trump administration will continue to at least partially walk back its own tariffs over time. Investors are still hoping for a quick resolution to the escalating US-China trade war that has steep 145% import taxes on most goods from...