The Nikkei 225 closed today with a slight increase of +0.26% to 49,512.28. Fundamentally, the Japanese market is in a tug-of-war between positive domestic sentiment and interest rate concerns. On the one hand, Japanese export data is strong (supportive for global-oriented stocks), but on the other hand, the market is increasingly convinced that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates this week—this usually strengthens the yen and can pressure exporter stocks. Additional pressures come from less than ideal industrial activity indicators and fiscal issues: factory activity/machinery...
US stocks finished higher on a volatile Wednesday session, reversing some of the sharp selling from the prior four sessions as markets digested a divisive Fed minutes release and awaited Nvidia's earnings after the close. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.6% while the Dow added 0.1%. Nvidia was up 2.9% as analysts expect solid, though moderating, revenue growth and will focus on its outlook for AI services and data centre compute capacity. Retail results were mixed with Target down 2.8% and Lowe's and TJX higher. The FOMC minutes showed disagreement among officials over...
European stocks inched higher on Wednesday to halt the selloff from the four prior sessions as markets continued to assess the outlook of the Fed's monetary policy and gauge fair values for the highly-speculative tech sector. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 rose 0.3% to 5,552 and the pan-European STOXX 600 inched above the flatline to 563. Investor sentiment, however, remained subdued as concerns over overvaluation in AI and tech stocks persisted, with Nvidia set to report quarterly results after the North American closing bell. Companies with exposure to AI were mixed ahead of the major event,...
US stocks attempted a rebound on Wednesday, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq adding nearly 0.2% while the Dow Jones gained 45 points, halting the sharp selloff seen in the previous sessions. The communication services sector was the top performer while energy lagged amid a drop in oil prices. Nvidia rose 1.7% as investors await its earnings report after the closing bell, viewed as a key test for big tech. Lowe's jumped more than 4% after beating earnings expectations and TJX Companies was up 1% as its earnings and revenues topped estimates. On the other hand, Meta fell 1.4%...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 were flat on Wednesday (November 19), trading near lows not seen since late September, but attempting to stabilize after four consecutive sessions of losses. However, investor sentiment remained low as concerns over overvaluation of AI and technology stocks persist, with Nvidia scheduled to report quarterly results today. UniCredit was among the worst-performing stocks (-1.2%) following reports that it may be considering smaller Italian rival BPER as a potential acquisition target. Engie (-1.3%), RWE (-0.8%), and Iberdrola (-0.8%) also traded in the red,...
The Hang Seng Index fell 99 points, or 0.4%, to close at 25,831 on Wednesday (November 19), extending its decline for a fourth session and holding at its lowest level in two weeks. Sentiment remained weak after Wall Street's prolonged decline on Tuesday ahead of the release of Nvidia's earnings report, the latest FOMC meeting minutes, and key US employment data. Concerns also grew that President Trump's lower approval rating could spur more fiscal spending and increase inflation risks. Diplomatic tensions between China and Japan persisted, further weighing on risk appetite. Locally, markets...