European stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday (July 23), halting three previous trading sessions' declines, buoyed by speculation that the US might accept lower tariffs following a new trade deal with Japan. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 1.1% to 5,350, and the pan-European STOXX 600 gained 1.1% to 550. President Trump lowered tariffs on Japan to 15% from an initial threat of 25%, despite no reports of substantial progress in trade negotiations between the EU and the US. Progress on auto tariffs with Japan, which has significant exposure to automakers, lifted shares of BMW, Stellantis,...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stepped into fresh weekly highs on Friday after investors shrugged off the second-worst print from the University of Michigan's (UoM) Consumer Sentiment Index on record. Market sentiment remains on the high side as traders hope for further clarity on trade from the Trump administration and a continued easing of President Donald Trump's tariff policies. The UoM's Consumer Sentiment Index sank to 50.8 from 52.2 as consumers' outlook for economic activity, income, and employment continues to decline. Investors were hoping for an uptick in consumer...
The European stock markets closed higher in Friday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.28%, Germany's DAX was up 0.12%, the FTSE 100 rose 0.59%, France's CAC 40 increased 0.24%, and the Swiss Market Index advanced 0.61%. In France, the unemployment rate was 7.4% in Q1, up slightly from 7.3% in the previous quarter, according to the national statistics agency. In Italy, the annual inflation rate held steady at 1.9% in April, unchanged from March and slightly below the 2.0% forecast, according to Bloomberg. And in corporate news, Novo Nordisk said Friday that Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen...
US stocks hovered around the flatline on Friday (05/16), with volatility expected during the session as a large number of options expire. Despite the choppy trading, the three major indexes remained on track to post solid weekly gains. Market sentiment improved amid signs of easing trade tensions, as the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily ease tariffs. At the same time, a series of mostly weak economic data has reinforced expectations that the Fed has room to cut interest rates at least twice this year. Housing starts and building permits both came in below estimates, while export and...
The Hang Seng dropped 108 points or 0.5% to end at 23,345 on Friday, down for the second day amid broad-based losses across all sectors. Investors were unsure how policies would evolve when the 90-day trade war truce between Washington and Beijing ends in July. A climb in US futures failed to lift sentiment as traders were on edge ahead of China's key April data next week, including industrial output and retail sales. Meanwhile, the PBoC is set to review its benchmark lending rates, which have stayed at record lows in recent months as the economy faces domestic and external...
The STOXX 50 edged up 0.2% and the STOXX 600 gained 0.6% on Friday, with both indexes on track to close the week approximately 1.8% higher, potentially marking a fifth consecutive weekly advance. Investors continued to weigh the prospects of a de-escalation in the ongoing trade war while keeping a close eye on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. On Friday, healthcare, telecommunications, and oil & gas sectors led the gains, while technology stocks lagged behind. Meanwhile, traders digested a fresh round of corporate earnings. Shares of Richemont surged around 4% after the luxury goods...