Global stock markets rallied at the start of the week amid growing optimism that the US government shutdown will soon end. S&P 500 futures rose 0.5%, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.8%, after Senate Republican leader John Thune said a deal to end the 40-day shutdown was "taking shape." Several Democratic senators were reportedly ready to support the bill if final details could be agreed upon. Positive sentiment was also evident in Asian markets, with South Korean stocks leading the gains. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields rose to 4.12% as investors shifted to riskier assets, while the...
European stock markets were trading higher on Friday morning after a sell-off on Wall Street as earnings remain in focus for investors. The regional Stoxx 600 was up by 0.3%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were marginally higher by 0.1% at 8:10 a.m. London time. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 was up 0.4% and Italy's MIB rose by 0.3%. European firms Kingspan Group, Air Liquide, Sika AG and others reported their fourth-quarter earnings. Standard Chartered for instance beat market expectations, and is now trading up by nearly 5%. Source: CNBC
The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.26% to close at 38,777, while the broader Topix Index edged up 0.07% to 2,737 on Friday, reversing earlier losses. The rebound followed comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, who stated that the central bank is prepared to increase government bond purchases if long-term interest rates rise sharply. Meanwhile, data showed that core inflation in Japan accelerated to 3.2% in January, up from 3% in December, exceeding forecasts of 3.1%. Headline inflation also rose to 4%, up from 3.6%, the highest level in two years. These figures reinforced expectations...
Hong Kong shares hit a three-year high Friday, leading gains in the region as investors weighed inflation data from Japan against tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 3.76% to its highest level since February 2022, according to data from LSEG. The Hang Seng Tech index added 6.15%. Shares of Hong Kong listed Alibaba rose 14.7% following a significant profit increase for the company in the December quarter, driven by growth in its Cloud Intelligence division and e-commerce sector. Mainland China's CSI 300 rose 1.26% to close at 3,978.44. Japan's...
Asia-Pacific markets trade mixed Friday as investors assessed inflation data from Japan, while the threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs dents investor sentiment. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.43%, while the Topix declined 0.33%. Japan's inflation rate in January climbed to 4%, hitting its highest level since January 2023. Core inflation — which excludes prices of fresh food — rose to 3.2%, beating Reuters' expectations of 3.1%.South Korea's Kospi traded 0.42% lower while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.43%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 2.25%, while the Hang Seng Tech index added...
(Hong Kong) The Hang Seng Index has opened with a notable increase of 513 points, or 2.27%, reaching 23,090 points. Meanwhile, the National Enterprises Index rose by 203 points, equivalent to 2.45%, settling at 8,526 points. The Technology Index also saw significant gains, climbing 184 points, or 3.36%, to 5,684 points.Leading the charge were technology stocks, with Alibaba experiencing a remarkable surge of 10% after its earnings report. Tencent rose by 3.7%, Meituan by 1.2%, Xiaomi Group by 1.8%, JD.com by 4.5%, Kuaishou by 4.5%, and Bilibili saw an impressive increase of 9.4%.In the...