Hong Kong stocks fell for the second session, down 46 points or 0.2% to 25,469 on Wednesday morning, after U.S.-China trade talks ended without a meaningful breakthrough. While extending the current tariff truce remains possible, Treasury Secretary Bessent said President Trump will have the final say. Caution also prevailed ahead of the Fed's rate decision later today, with analysts noting most Fed officials prefer to wait and assess the inflationary impact of tariffs before acting, especially with Trump's August 1 tariff deadline looming. Tech shares led the fall, followed by consumers...
The Hang Seng plunged 168 points, or 0.9%, to close at 19,280 on Wednesday, falling for a third straight session and hitting a six-week low as losses spread across sectors. Risk-off sentiment prevailed as traders grappled with uncertainty over U.S. interest rates and policy under incoming President Trump. Caution also persisted ahead of China's March National People's Congress, with investors expecting limited policy action for the time being. Meanwhile, Chinese officials criticized Washington's decision this week to blacklist several Chinese technology companies over alleged military...
European markets opened slightly higher on Wednesday as traders assessed the region's economic outlook. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened 0.1% higher with most sectors in positive territory, with financial services stocks up nearly 1%. The worst-performing sector was autos. Traders will be watching data on European consumer confidence and economic sentiment. On the earnings front, Shell will release its fourth-quarter update. European markets closed higher on Tuesday as investors in the region digested the latest inflation data showing euro zone consumer prices rose to 2.4% in...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Electric Power, Transportation Equipment and Warehousing sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.27%. The best performer on the Nikkei 225 was Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755), which rose 5.73% or 49.90 points to trade at 920.10 at the close. Meanwhile, Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (TYO:5706) rose 4.29% or 199.00 points to close at 4,835.00 and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) gained 3.90% or 274.00 points to 7,302.00 in late trade. The worst performer on the session was Tokio Marine...
Japan's 10-year government bond yield surged above 1.17% on Wednesday, reaching its highest level since May 2011, mirroring the rise in US Treasury yields as strong US economic data reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Domestically, investors are preparing for the Bank of Japan's branch managers' meeting this week and Deputy Governor Himino's speech next week, both of which are expected to provide further guidance on the rates outlook. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda recently reiterated that any policy adjustments will depend on economic, price, and financial...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.8% to fall below 39,800, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.7%, settling at 2,767 on Wednesday, reversing gains from the previous session as US Treasury yields surged. Japanese shares also mirrored a tech-driven selloff on Wall Street overnight, fueled by concerns over persistent inflation and reduced expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Investors in Japan are also looking ahead to local wage data this week, which could offer further insights into the Bank of Japan's monetary policy outlook. Notable losses were seen in index...