US stocks rallied on Wednesday (July 23), driven by optimism over a new trade agreement and strong corporate momentum. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to a new record high, while the Nasdaq gained 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 505 points, nearly reaching its own record high. The market welcomed news of a finalized trade deal between the US and Japan that includes reciprocal tariffs of 15%, with President Trump signaling similar progress in negotiations with the European Union. Reports suggesting a US-EU deal is nearing completion, mirroring Japan's framework, further boosted...
The three major averages in the US swung around the flatline on Friday, as traders digest much weaker-than-expected retail sales that raised concerns about the strength of the US consumer spending. Retail sales declined 0.9% last month and the control sales which is used to calculate GDP declined 0.8%. Consumer spending was likely hit by harsh weather and wildfires in LA. Meanwhile, President Trump signed a directive instructing the US Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary to propose new country-specific tariffs. Investors await further details and remain hopeful that negotiations...
Hong Kong stocks surged more than three percent on Friday, in line with a global rally fuelled by relief over the timeline of US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs. Sentiment was also boosted by a Bloomberg report that China had invited Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and other entrepreneurs for a meeting with top brass, fuelling hopes of further support for the country's private sector. The Hang Seng Index jumped 3.69 percent, or 805.96 points, to 22,620.33. The president said Thursday he decided to impose fresh reciprocal duties on trading partners, telling reporters that US allies were...
European stock markets opened lower on Friday after hitting record highs earlier this week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index moved 0.1% lower when markets opened. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down by 0.25%, and Germany's DAX was lower by 0.3%. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 opened flat. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Friday, after Wall Street rose overnight as President Donald Trump signed a reciprocal tariffs plan, but did not enact the levies immediately. Mainland China's CSI 300 Index rose 0.86%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged 3.06%, extending its gains from the previous...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Textile, Transportation Equipment and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.79%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TYO:7911), which rose 15.52% or 632.00 points to trade at 4,703.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Sony Corp (TYO:6758) added 8.65% or 295.00 points to end at 3,705.00 and Trend Micro Inc. (TYO:4704) was up 6.77% or 735.00 points to 11,595.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were...
The Hang Seng Index opened higher, rising 212 points or 0.97%, to reach 22,027 points. The China Enterprises Index climbed 80 points, or 1%, to 8,083, while the Tech Index advanced 75 points, or 1.43%, to 5,310.Technology stocks posted strong performances, with gains across major players. Tencent rose 1.7%, Alibaba edged up 0.1%, Meituan gained 1.4%, Xiaomi rose 1.8%, JD.com climbed 2.3%, and Kuaishou surged 3.3%.Financial stocks also provided significant support to the market. HSBC advanced 0.4%, AIA rose 1.7%, Ping An Insurance increased by 1.2%, and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing...