Asia-Pacific stock markets are expected to open mixed on Friday, marking a cautious start to the new year. This movement follows the New Year's Eve close of US markets, where the three major Wall Street indexes weakened, although overall they still posted positive performance for 2025. Several major Asian markets remain closed for the New Year holiday, including Japan and mainland China. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index opened relatively stable with no major movements. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index futures were at 25,648, slightly higher than the last close of 25,630.54,...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.14% to close at 49,865 on Wednesday, recouping losses from earlier in the week and following gains on Wall Street amid expectations of further US Federal Reserve rate cuts. Risk appetite also improved as investors weighed the potential for a year-end rally in global equities. At home, caution persisted as markets assessed speculation that the Bank of Japan could raise rates this month. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank would consider the pros and cons of a hike and act "as appropriate." Technology stocks led the advance, with strong gains from...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.14% to close at 49,865 on Wednesday, recovering losses from earlier in the week and tracking gains on Wall Street. This rise was driven by expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again, boosting investor risk appetite. However, Japanese market participants remained cautious amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates this month. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that the central bank is still weighing the positive and negative impacts before making a decision. The technology sector was the driving force behind the...
Shares in Hong Kong dipped 273 points, or 1.0%, to 25,826 in early Wednesday trade, reversing gains from the prior two sessions amid steep, broad-based losses across sectors. Traders were nervous ahead of key policy events in China, including the annual Central Economic Work Conference and the December Politburo meeting. Fresh private survey data also pressured sentiment, as China's services sector grew the least in five months during November, highlighting weakening economic momentum despite Beijing's efforts to boost activity. An extended decline in mainland markets also added to the...
Asia Pacific stock markets opened quietly on Wednesday morning, with investors awaiting the release of key economic data from the United States and signals on interest rate policy from the Federal Reserve. Major indices moved steadily after several days of volatility, indicating market caution ahead of the US central bank meeting. In Japan, the yen strengthened slightly against the US dollar on speculation of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike. Meanwhile, Tokyo and Hong Kong stock markets opened flat, with investors monitoring global developments and geopolitical situations that continue to...
The Nikkei index has the potential to rise in today's trading after Wall Street rallied overnight. Nikkei futures on the SGX rose around 0.6% to 49,590, signaling a fairly positive start. On Tuesday, the Nikkei closed nearly flat at 49,303.45, so the market is still waiting for a new trigger for a clearer move. On the foreign exchange market, the USD/JPY pair was at 155.83, slightly higher than the Tokyo stock market's closing position on Tuesday of 155.78. This slight weakening of the yen against the dollar typically benefits Japanese exporters, as their dollar earnings appear higher when...