European stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.5% and the broader STOXX 600 slipping 0.4%, as optimism around Russia–Ukraine peace efforts prompted investors to reassess the outlook for military spending and weighed on defense shares. Defense names declined sharply, led by Rheinmetall (-4.6%), alongside losses in BAE Systems (-1.7%), Leonardo (-3.9%) and Thales (-1.6%). Technology heavyweights also pressured the market, with ASML Holding down 2.1% and SAP falling 1.4%, as softer global growth signals dampened appetite for cyclical tech exposure. In contrast, LVMH...
Japanese stocks fell after the yen strengthened as much as 1% against the dollar overnight and US technology shares slumped. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 2% as of 9:12 a.m. in Tokyo, while the broader Topix slipped 1.3%. Exporters such as automakers and technology companies were among the heaviest drags on the Topix. The yen reached a one-week high of 151.79 per dollar, after jumping as much as 1% on Thursday. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Thursday that currency markets have had a major impact on the economy, pointing to another potential...
Asia-Pacific markets are set for a mixed open on Friday, after Wall Street benchmarks the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 posted their worst day in nearly two months on a downbeat Microsoft earnings forecast and MetaTrader results. Traders await a raft of economic data from the region, including Australia's third-quarter producer price index reading and China's Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers' index for October. Japan's Nikkei 225 appears set for a weaker open, with futures in Chicago at 38,470 and its Osaka counterpart at 38,370 against the index's last close of...