European stocks ended mixed on the last trading day of the year. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed a shortened trading session 0.1% lower on Wednesday, with most sector indexes in negative territory. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2%, bringing the index to an annual gain of 21.5% – its strongest yearly gain since 2009. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 ended New Year's Eve down 0.2%, while Germany's DAX rose 0.6%. Italy's FTSE MIB gained 1.1%, bringing annual gains to 31.5% and its best year since 1998. Markets were open for a half-day of trading on Wednesday, and will be closed...
The Hang Seng Index rose 45 points, or 0.2%, to close at 25,819 on Wednesday, rebounding from a slight decline in the prior session as most sectors posted modest gains in thin holiday trading, led by financials. Sentiment was further lifted by a sixth straight advance in the Shanghai benchmark. Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced Tuesday plans to impose tariffs on Chinese semiconductor imports over Beijing's "unreasonable" push for chip industry dominance, though implementation will be delayed until June 2027, limiting near-term impact. Investors also looked ahead to November...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.1% and the STOXX 600 added 0.4% during the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, following the STOXX 600's close at a fresh record high the previous day. Trading volumes are expected to remain light, with no major economic releases scheduled in Europe. Commodity-linked stocks were among the top performers, led by energy shares amid rising oil and metal prices. BP gained 0.5% after agreeing to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to Stonepeak, while Shell rose 0.3% and TotalEnergies advanced 0.8%. The luxury sector also posted gains, with LVMH up 0.4%, Hermes adding 0.3%, and...
The Nikkei 225 fell 212 points, or 0.4%, to close at 50,255 on Wednesday, reversing early gains as sentiment turned sour amid a stronger yen that eroded overseas earnings for export-heavy firms. Autos led declines, with Toyota down 1.8%, Subaru off 1.2%, and Honda Motor slipping modestly. Financial shares also retreated, giving back part of last week's sharp rally after the Bank of Japan last week raised rates to a three-decade high. Meanwhile, minutes from the central bank's October meeting showed policymakers broadly agreed real interest rates remain low, reinforcing expectations of...
Hong Kong shares edged up 51 points, or 0.2%, to 25,824 in Wednesday morning trade, reversing mild losses from the previous session after Wall Street's S&P 500 closed at a fresh high overnight as data showed the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in two years. Investors weighed reports that China plans to step up urban renewal and strengthen efforts to stabilize the property market starting in 2026, at the launch of its new Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). However, gains were capped by local data showing Hong Kong's current account surplus narrowed to HKD 98.2 billion in Q3 2025 from HKD...
Asian stocks rose at the opening session today, tracking significant gains on Wall Street, which hit a record high after data showed the US economy grew at its fastest pace in two years. The MSCI Asia Index rose 0.2%, with Japan and South Korea gaining, while Australian shares edged lower in the shortened trading session. US stocks also posted gains for the fourth straight day, driven by major technology stocks, which rose nearly 1%. Investors' attention was also focused on commodity markets, with gold prices surging to a new record above $4,500 per ounce. The rise in gold prices was driven...