The Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% to below 41,700, while the Topix Index dropped 0.6% to 2,960 on Friday, as investors booked profits following a sharp rally that pushed both indexes to new highs. Despite the pullback, both benchmarks remain on track to post weekly gains of over 4%, buoyed by optimism around the recently signed US-Japan trade deal. Under the agreement, Japanese exports to the US will face a 15% tariff, well below the 25% threatened by President Trump earlier this month, easing some trade-related uncertainty. On the economic front, Tokyo's core inflation came in slightly below...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday (15/5), after mostly gaining in the previous session on easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.90%, while the Topix lost 0.75%. South Korea's Kospi declined 0.29% while the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.37%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.42%, while mainland China's CSI 300 was flat. "While markets have largely priced in peak tariff-related macro stress, we remain wary of a second wave of volatility, this time driven by fiscal policy uncertainty and weakening...
US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed evolving trade policies and recent strength in the tech sector. The S&P 500 added 0.1% after erasing its losses for the year, while the Dow slipped 89 points and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7%, boosted by gains in major chipmakers. Nvidia climbed 3% following reports of AI chip shipments to Saudi Arabia, and AMD jumped 4% after unveiling a $6 billion share buyback plan. The broader AI rally fueled a 17% surge in Super Micro Computer, helping lift overall market sentiment. Optimism was further supported by a temporary U.S.-China tariff...
European stocks closed slightly lower, halting the strong momentum for equities from the week as markets took profits and continued to assess risks to the European corporate outlook from pending tariffs by the US. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 lost 0.3% to close at 5,400 and the pan-European STOXX 600 pulled back 0.4% to 542. Consumer discretionary extended their volatile momentum to record losses, with LVMH and Kering dropping 2% and 3%, while L'Oreal slumped 3.3%. In turn, healthcare continued to decline as US President Trump was due to pass policy to cap drug prices, with Sanofi and Bayer...
US stocks rose on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones up 0.2% while the Nasdaq gained 0.6%. The gains came after the S&P 500 turned positive for the year a day earlier, although momentum from the recent rally, fueled by the U.S.-China tariff cuts, appeared to be fading. Investors also eyed President Trump's visit to the Middle East, which has drawn attention to the market. The technology sector was the best performer so far while real estate and utilities underperformed. Nvidia shares jumped more than 3%, building on a 5.6% gain from the previous session as the company will...
The Hang Seng surged 532 points or 2.3% to close at 23,641 on Wednesday, recovering from the prior session's sharp drop after softer-than-expected U.S. consumer inflation eased concerns over the inflationary impact of U.S. tariff policies. Gains were broad-based, led by consumers and financials. The tech index also saw solid gains, as Nvidia and AMD will supply semiconductors to Saudi Arabia's Humain for a data center project. Separately, the U.S. is reportedly mulling a deal allowing the UAE to import over a million advanced Nvidia chips. Investors turned their focus to earnings from...