US stocks were lower on Thursday, extending the poor momentum this week as markets assessed the outlook on rates and retailers' earnings for hints on the strength of the consumer. The three main equity indices were around 0.4% down, with the Nasdaq 100 set to drop sharply this week after a tech selloff. FOMC minutes showed that most members saw inflation risks as greater than labor market risks, while policymakers showed a degree of concerns that inflation expectations could become unanchored. Tech giants remained broadly under pressure as markets showed skepticism that AI services will...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Mining, Gas & Water and Insurance sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.81%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were IHI Corp. (TYO:7013), which rose 7.75% or 677.00 points to trade at 9,408.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Recruit Holdings Co Ltd (TYO:6098) added 6.93% or 610.00 points to end at 9,410.00 and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7011) was up 6.74% or 134.00 points to 2,121.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were DeNA Co Ltd...
Hong Kong's equities surged 370 points or 1.6% to 23,313 in early trade on Monday, reversing losses from the previous two sessions as traders reacted positively to February's PMI readings in China. Factory activity in the country grew the most in three months, a private survey data showed. Meanwhile, official figures showed the manufacturing sectors unexpectedly expanded while the service economy rose slightly faster than expected. Source: Trading Economics
The Nikkei 225 Index surged 0.9% to around 37,500, while the broader Topix Index gained 1.1% to 2,711 on Monday, recovering some of last week's losses, supported by Wall Street's strong finish on Friday. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the March 4 deadline for US President Donald Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10% duty on Chinese goods. Geopolitical concerns also remained, as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to reach an agreement on Friday that could potentially end the war in Ukraine. Domestically, Japan's...
Asia-Pacific markets were set to rise Monday as investors awaited clarity about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to impose impose tariffs this week on key U.S. trading partners. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly told Fox News on Sunday that the exact tariff that will be levied against Mexico and Canada starting Tuesday is still "fluid," which means it could be lower than the proposed 25%. He added that the additional 10% duty on China imports is "set." Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 37,745 while its...
US stocks closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each up 1.6%, while the Dow gained 601 points. Investors weighed a tense exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Vance called Zelensky "disrespectful," while Trump accused Zelensky of "gambling with World War III." Trump's tariff threats also rekindled warnings of retaliation from China, raising uncertainty, especially in Big Tech. Economic data sent mixed signals: Core PCE inflation eased to 2.6% as expected, but consumer spending unexpectedly fell 0.2% in January. Nvidia...