European stocks finished the session firmly higher, with the Euro STOXX 50 rising 0.7% and the STOXX Europe 600 gaining 0.8%, extending a rebound from Friday's tech-led selloff as investors looked past near-term volatility. Gains were broad-based, though the defense sector came under pressure after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled Ukraine's willingness to drop its long-standing bid for NATO membership in exchange for alternative security guarantees, a shift that raised hopes for progress in peace talks resuming in Berlin. Shares of Rheinmetall fell 2.6%, with Hensoldt and Renk also...
The Nikkei 225 index closed down around 0.9% at 50,150 on Thursday, down nearly 450 points from the previous day. The main pressure came from the technology sector and stocks related to the AI/chip theme, with shares of giants like SoftBank plunging sharply after global sentiment toward AI spending wavered following Oracle's disappointing financial report. Regionally, Asian markets also tended to be mixed to weaker despite earlier gains on Wall Street, limiting room for upside in the Nikkei. From a fundamental perspective, the Japanese market is being squeezed in two directions: on the one...
Hong Kong stocks rose around 201 points (0.8%) to 25,733 in Thursday's morning session, extending their gains for a second day. This rise was driven by positive sentiment from Wall Street after the Fed cut interest rates in line with market expectations. Traders remain hopeful of further easing, although the US central bank has signaled a temporary pause. In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority followed the Fed's lead and cut interest rates to their lowest level since October 2022, keeping Hong Kong's monetary policy in line with the US. Gains were broad-based, particularly in the...
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher on Thursday morning after the Federal Reserve delivered its third interest rate cut this year. The Fed cut the Fed Funds Rate by 25 bps to a range of 3.5%–3.75% and signaled that the rate-cutting cycle may be temporarily paused. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized that they are now in a "comfortable" position to wait and see economic developments, while highlighting that President Donald Trump's tariffs are actually a driver of inflation. In the region, positive sentiment was immediately reflected in major stock indices. Japan's Nikkei 225 opened...
The Nikkei index opened up around 0.2% to 50,707.54, following positive sentiment on Wall Street after the Fed cut interest rates. Today's gains were led by financial and trading house stocks; Dai-ichi Life Holdings rose around 2.4%, while Sumitomo Corp. gained around 2.5%, reflecting a return to risk appetite in the Japanese stock market. On the currency side, USD/JPY weakened to 155.62 from 156.73 at the previous close, signaling a strengthening yen following the Fed's decision. Investors are now focusing on the release of domestic economic data and PM Sanae Takaichi's policy statement...
European equities edged lower on Wednesday as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision, limiting risk taking across regional markets. The STOXX 50 fell 0.3%, while the STOXX 600 was little changed, reflecting broader uncertainty as traders waited for guidance on the US interest rate outlook beyond an expected cut later in the day. Investors were also weighing a series of corporate updates. Aegon sank nearly 10% to the bottom of the STOXX 600 after unveiling plans to relocate its head office to the US and rebrand under its largest subsidiary,...