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...
The STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 fell nearly 1% on Friday, driven lower by a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report that reinforced the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on future rate cuts. This, combined with inflation concerns, the ongoing UK debt market crisis, and uncertainty over President-elect Trump's potential tariff policies, weighed heavily on investor sentiment. Most sectors and bourses were in the red, with utilities and food & beverage stocks dropping 2.3%, while autos were the exception, rising 0.48%. Major companies like LVMH (-0.7%), SAP (-0.9%), and ASML Holding (-1.3%)...
US stocks fell on Friday, with the S&P 500 down 07%, the Dow Jones down about 230 points and the Nasdaq down 1%, after a better-than-expected jobs report underscored the resilience of the US labor market, reinforcing the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to further interest rate cuts. The US economy unexpectedly added 256,000 jobs in December, well above the 160,000 forecast, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.1% from 4.2% while wage growth slowed to 0.3% as expected. Traders expect the Fed to leave the federal funds rate steady through the second half of the year....
European markets traded flat to down on Friday amid concerns about the UK debt market, with attention now turning to US jobs data that could provide clues on the Fed's interest rate path The Stoxx 50 fell 0.1% and the Stoxx 600 was flat. Ubisoft shares fell more than 8% after it announced a review of its strategic options following speculation about a potential buyout. Investors also monitored a surge in UK bond yields, with the 30-year yield hitting a level not seen since the late 1990s and the 10-year yield hitting its highest since the 2008 financial crisis, reflecting growing concerns...
The Hang Seng fell 177 points, or 0.9%, to close at 19,064 on Friday, down for a fifth straight session and hitting its lowest in more than six weeks as sectors broadly lost ground. Nervous traders reacted to the People's Bank of China's decision to halt purchases of government bonds that sent yields soaring. Investors are cautiously awaiting China's December trade data, due later in the week. Exports grew less than expected in November, while imports unexpectedly shrank. Meanwhile, U.S. futures pointed to a weaker open on Wall Street, with traders preparing for the NFP data later in the...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Friday, as losses in the Shipping, Electric Power and Insurance sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 1.04%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857), which rose 5.12% or 506.00 points to trade at 10,380.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:3382) rose 4.86% or 115.50 points to close at 2,490.00 and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) gained 3.48% or 244.00 points to 7,259.00 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Mitsui...