Japanese shares ended higher on Thursday as investors awaited a key US jobs report and the outcome of a major tax and spending bill in Congress, both seen as potential triggers for Fed rate cuts.
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.06%, or 23.42 points, to end at 39,785.90.
Investors awaited a House vote in the US on Trump's $3.3 trillion tax and spending bill, which would cut taxes, reduce social programs, and raise the national debt.
The focus also remained on US payrolls data due later in the day, with forecasts calling for a 110,000 job gain and unemployment rising to 4.3%.
A surprise drop in private sector jobs has heightened market sensitivity to the report. Still, Fed officials cite labor market strength as a reason to delay rate cuts, with futures pricing in just a 25% chance of a July move.
In economic data, Japan's services sector grew for a third month in June, with the PMI rising to 51.7 from 51.0, supported by stronger demand and hiring, S&P Global said Thursday.
Business confidence hit a four-month high, while input cost inflation eased slightly. Output prices rose at the fastest pace in 14 months.
The Composite PMI rose to 51.5, the highest since February, as services and factory output improved.
Source: MTN newswires
The Japanese stock market opened lower at the start of this week. The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8% to 45,009.28, dragged down by a sell-off in high-dividend stocks that began trading ex-dividend today. ...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.80%. The best...
The Japanese stock market is poised to weaken on Friday due to uncertainty over the impact of US tariffs on corporate profits. Nikkei futures on the SGX fell 0.3% to 45,330, signaling pressure on the ...
The Nikkei 225 climbed 0.27% to 45,755 while the Topix added 0.47% to 3,185 on Thursday, marking a third straight day of gains as investors brushed off a tech-driven selloff on Wall Street. US equitie...
The Nikkei 225 weakened 0.1% to 45,600, while the Topix gained 0.2% to 3,177 on Thursday, as Japanese equities lacked a clear direction due to pressure on technology stocks. This followed two co...
Gold prices rallied again, approaching the $3,800 level during the Asian session on Monday (September 29th), driven by US inflation data that met expectations. This condition reinforced speculation that the US Federal Reserve (The Fed) will...
Silver price (XAG/USD) is trading around new 14-year high of $46.64, marked during the Asian hours on Monday. The non-interest-bearing Silver attracts buyers as the US August inflation report boosts the odds of the US Federal Reserve (Fed)...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) appreciates on Monday, with the AUD/USD pair extending its gains for the second consecutive session. The US Dollar (USD) weakens as traders brace for shutdown risks of the United States (US) government, beginning from...
Annual inflation in the United States (US), as measured by the change in the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, edged higher to...
Major European bourses traded slightly higher on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 gaining around 0.3%, after two straight...
Russia's export rules spark diesel market jitters"Boosting prices were initial reports that Russia intends to ban some companies from exporting...
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced sweeping new import tariffs, including a 100% duty on brand-name drugs and a 25% levy on heavy-duty...