Wall Street's major indexes rose on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record highs, gaining 1.1% and 1.4% respectively, after July's inflation data largely met expectations. The Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% month-over-month and 2.7% year-over-year, easing concerns about rising prices amid ongoing trade tensions. This bolstered expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut next month, with traders pricing in about a 90% chance of a 25-basis-point reduction in September. The Dow climbed 483 points, supported by easing trade tensions after President Trump extended a 90-day...
US stocks were firmly lower on Wednesday after the US GDP unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter, underscoring the negative initial impact of tariff threats and uncertain economic policy by President Trump. The S&P 500 fell 2%, the Dow dropped nearly 600 points, and the tech heavy Nasdaq slumped 3% ahead of earnings releases among its key members. The US GDP contracted at an annualized 0.3% in the March quarter, contrasting with expectations of a 0.3% expansion amid softer consumer spending and soaring imports to undercut tariffs, while headline and core PCE prices accelerated...
The Hang Seng rose 111 points or 0.5% to close at 22,119 on Wednesday, recovering from early declines and posting a second straight day of gains as most sectors advanced. Sentiment improved on hopes that Beijing would ramp up efforts to cushion the blow from the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute. Tech stocks led the rally, with the sector index climbing over 1% after President Xi Jinping called for breakthroughs in AI during a visit to Shanghai. Consumer and property shares also rose on bets of policy support aimed at boosting domestic consumption. However, the benchmark fell 4.3% in April,...
European stock markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday as investors digested a wave of earnings and Eurozone GDP data. The Stoxx 600 rose 0.4%, extending its longest winning streak since January, while the Stoxx 50 was flat to slightly lower. Autos gained nearly 1%, supported by a softer stance on US automotive tariffs after President Trump signed an order reducing duties on inputs like steel and aluminum, though the 25% vehicle import rate remains. In corporate updates, Stellantis (+2.5%) suspended its full-year outlook due to trade risks. UBS (+2%) beat expectations with a $1.692B...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 added 0.57% to hit a new 1-month high. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506), which rose 14.56% or 100.00 points to trade at 787.00 at the close. Meanwhile, TOTO Ltd. (TYO:5332) added 9.49% or 329.00 points to end at 3,794.00 and Tokuyama Corp. (TYO:4043) was up 7.31% or 198.00 points to 2,906.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Mitsui...
(Hong Kong) As April inches towards its final trading day, the Hang Seng Index opened higher by 30 points or 0.13%, reaching 22,038 points. Concurrently, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped by 16 points or 0.2%, settling at 8,051 points, while the Hang Seng TECH Index rose by 10 points or 0.2%, closing at 5,030 points. In the tech sector, notable developments unfolded with Tencent edging up by 0.4%, Alibaba climbing by 1.2%, Meituan seeing no significant change, Xiaomi Group declining by 0.4%, JD.com slipping by 0.1%, and Kuaishou ascending by 0.1%.Following the release of...