Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday, as investors keep a close watch on the People's Bank of China's decision on its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates for July, as well as the latest developments on the trade front. Trade came into focus once again over the weekend as the White House reiterated its position on tariffs. On Sunday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Aug. 1 the "hard deadline" for countries to start paying tariffs, though he also added that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1." South Korean markets started the day higher Monday. As of...
Stock futures were relatively unchanged on Wednesday after the S&P 500 saw its first negative session in four. S&P 500 futures traded down by 0.1%, along with Nasdaq 100 futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 44 points, or 0.1%. In extended trading, shares of Oracle surged more than 7% after its fiscal fourth-quarter results beat on the top and bottom lines. The company also indicated more cloud growth ahead, saying in a statement that cloud infrastructure revenue will rise by more than 70% in fiscal 2026, up from a 50% growth rate in the prior fiscal...
The three major U.S. indexes hovered around the flatline on Wednesday as traders digested a weaker-than-expected CPI report and digested the latest developments in the U.S.-China trade war. All major inflation measures came in below expectations, suggesting that consumers are yet to feel the impact of President Trump's tariffs, perhaps because the most severe duties are still on hold or because businesses are still absorbing the extra costs. The data bolstered views that the Fed could cut interest rates twice this year. Meanwhile, President Trump said a trade deal with China was done....
The Hang Seng rose 184 points, or 0.8%, to close at a nearly three-month high of 24,349 on Wednesday, recovering from a slight decline in the previous session while extending its upward momentum since early June amid broad sector strength. Optimism grew over progress in U.S.-China trade talks, although further details on an agreed framework were awaited. Significant gains in mainland stocks also lifted sentiment, helping offset a mild decline in U.S. futures ahead of key inflation data. In corporate news, Chinese automakers pledged to shorten supplier payment terms amid an escalating price...
European shares were subdued on Wednesday ahead of a crucial inflation report out of the U.S., while investors assessed the impact of a potential U.S.-China agreement on the trade war. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.1% at 553.85 points at 0705 GMT. Late on Tuesday, U.S. and Chinese officials said they had agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths, and remove some from the U.S. The agreement will be taken back to the leaders of the two countries for approval. In Europe, carmakers that would benefit from the...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 added 0.49%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436), which rose 10.51% or 104.00 points to trade at 1,094.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. (TYO:3099) added 5.74% or 128.00 points to end at 2,358.00 and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) was up 4.80% or 1,140.00 points to 24,880.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Hino Motors, Ltd....