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...
The Hang Seng Index fell 0.1% at 22,944.24 in Hong Kong. The move follows the previous session's increase of 1.6%. Meituan contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 3.0%. Hang Seng Bank Ltd. had the largest drop, falling 3.9%. Today, 38 of 83 shares fell, while 39 rose; 2 of 4 sectors were lower, led by commerce and industry stocks. Source: Bloomberg
European markets saw a mixed open on Wednesday as investors assessed numerous earnings releases and a hotter-than-expected U.K. inflation print. The regional Stoxx 600 index was 0.06% higher in early deals following Tuesday's record close, while sectors and bourses were a mix bag. Dutch healthcare technology group Philips dropped 7% at the open after missing sales growth expectations for the fourth quarter amid a double digit decline in China.Earnings on Wednesday come from BAE Systems,Glencore,Rio Tinto, Koninklijke Philips and Carrefour.Europe's largest lender HSBC earlier on...
Hong Kong equities fell 59 points or 0.3%, to 22,913 in early trade on Wednesday, retreating from the previous session's rally. Sentiment was weighed by a fresh threat from US President Donald Trump to impose 25% tariffs on automobile, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical imports. Additionally, some traders booked profits after the market hit a four-month high in the prior session. Limiting further losses, US futures edged higher following Wall Street's S&P 500 closing at a record high overnight. Meanwhile, China's new home prices fell 5.0% year-on-year in January, the mildest decline in...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.2% to below 39,200 on Wednesday, ending a two-day rally as investors reacted to disappointing economic data. Core machinery orders in Japan, a key indicator of capital spending, unexpectedly dropped in December. Additionally, Japan reported a larger-than-expected trade deficit for January, with import growth outpacing exports. Investors also continued to monitor developments in global trade, as US President Donald Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax US imports by April. In corporate news, Honda indicated its willingness to resume merger...
Asia-Pacific stocks were mostly down Wednesday, breaking ranks with Wall Street that saw the S&P 500 close at a record high as investors appeared to look past tariffs and inflation headwinds. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.62% while the broader Topix index was down 0.59% as the country reported a two-year high trade deficit. Business sentiment for Japanese manufacturers rose for the second month in February, results from the Reuters Tankan poll indicates. The manufacturers' sentiment index rose to plus 3 — its highest level since November — from plus 2 in January. Over in South...