Hong Kong stocks rose modestly on Tuesday, as investors positioned ahead of the Politburo meeting in China that could set the economic tone for the rest of the year, while sentiment remained upbeat following the launch of the world's largest hydropower dam project on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau. The Hang Seng Index gained 135.89 points, or 0.5%, to close at 25,130.03, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) added 35.40 points, or 0.4%, to 9,075.60. Focus is now on the upcoming Politburo meeting, convened by Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, which could...
US stocks were lower on Monday, with the S&P 500 down 0.8%, the Dow Jones losing 80 points, and the Nasdaq dropping 1.4%, extending last week's losses. Investor sentiment has been weighed down by rising Treasury yields, driven by expectations of fewer Fed rate cuts this year and concerns over potential inflationary pressures from the incoming Trump administration's policies. Tech and communication services were the worst performing sectors while energy outperformed buoyed by rising oil prices following new US sanctions on Russia. Shares of Apple were down 2.4% after Counterpoint...
European markets opened lower on Monday, amid persisting jitters over the global economy. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was 0.4% lower shortly after the opening bell, with most sectors in negative territory. Regional markets closed lower last Friday, as investors reacted to the latest U.S. jobs data that showed nonfarm payrolls were up by 256,000 last month — much more than the 155,000 forecast by economists polled by Dow Jones. The data subdued sentiment among global markets as it raised concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve would proceed with caution when it comes to further interest...
The Hang Seng dipped 190 points or 1.0% to close at 18,874 on Monday, marking its sixth session of declines amid a marked fall in US futures, as a strong US payrolls report pushed up bond yields and reduced hopes for further interest rate cuts. The index fell to its lowest in nearly four months, with widespread losses across sectors following the third straight fall in mainland markets, which edged closer to a bear market. However, the index pared some of its earlier losses after PBoC Governor Pan Gongsheng said China would promote consumption in the economy. He also mentioned that the...
Asia-Pacific markets traded lower Monday, after U.S. jobs report on Friday dampened investors' hopes for early interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 1.6%, trading below 19,000 for the first time since last September, data from LSEG showed. Mainland China's benchmark CSI 300 dropped 0.75%, having closed at its lowest level since September 2024 on Friday. China is slated to release its December trade data later in the day, while India is expected to report its inflation numbers. Japan markets are closed for a holiday. South Korea's Kospilost 0.85% while...
U.S. stocks sold off on Friday, with the S&P 500 erasing its 2025 gains, after an upbeat jobs report stoked fresh inflation fears, reinforcing bets that the Federal Reserve will be cautious in cutting interest rates this year. Wall Street's main indexes closed their second consecutive week in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), fell 696.75 points, or 1.63%, to 41,938.45, the S&P 500 (.SPX), lost 91.21 points, or 1.54%, to 5,827.04 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), lost 317.25 points, or 1.63%, to 19,161.63. The domestically focused small-cap Russell 2000 index...