Wall Street's three major indexes managed to close Tuesday's choppy session higher, marking quarterly and monthly gains, even as investors braced for a U.S. government shutdown, which would delay key economic reports and muddy the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy outlook. With investors having bet for some time on a spate of further Fed rate cuts, the benchmark S&P 500, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the Dow all gained for the second quarter in a row. For the S&P 500 and the Dow, it also marked their fifth straight monthly gain while the Nasdaq registered its sixth straight monthly...
Wall Street kicked off the week with gains on Monday as investors positioned ahead of a data-heavy week that includes two key inflation reports likely to influence Federal Reserve policy expectations. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Nasdaq 100 gained nearly 0.5% to approach its August record high on strength in chipmakers, and the Dow Jones advanced 114 points. Last week's weak August jobs report, coupled with softer labor market data, has fueled hopes the Fed will cut rates at its September meeting, with traders increasingly pricing in the possibility of a larger 50 bps reduction. This...
European shares finished higher on Monday, while French stocks also rose as investors stayed calm in the run-up to a no-confidence vote later in the day that lead to the ouster of the country's fifth prime minister in three years. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost a vote of no-confidence on Monday, at a time when the continent's second-largest economy struggles to rein in its debt. France also faces its first of many credit rating reviews later this week. The pan-European STOXX 600 ended 0.52% higher at 552.04 points at the close, and France's CAC 40 index closed up...
US stocks were mostly higher on Monday as traders brace for a busy week of economic data ahead of next week's FOMC decision. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq gained 0.6%, while the Dow Jones hovered around the flatline. Inflation data will be in focus, with the upcoming CPI and PPI reports expected to shed more light on price pressures. Markets have nearly fully priced in a Federal Reserve rate cut this month, particularly after last week's weak jobs report. The BLS's preliminary benchmark revision to employment levels for the 12 months through March will also draw attention. At...
The Hang Seng index rose 216 points, or 0.9%, to close at 25,634 on Monday, extending its gains for a second session. Sentiment was boosted by US index futures, which indicated a rally on Wall Street, as weak employment data reinforced speculation of a Fed rate cut later this month. Investor optimism about the Chinese economy also improved after foreign exchange reserves reached their highest level since December 2015 in August, with the central bank reportedly increasing its gold holdings. However, gains were limited as Chinese trade data showed weak export and import growth, underscoring...
Stocks in Europe started the week in positive territory, with the STOXX 50 up 0.6% and the STOXX 600 advancing 0.3%. Equities continued to benefit from expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates this month, while investors kept a close watch on political developments in France. Prime Minister François Bayrou is widely expected to lose a confidence vote today, a result that would deepen political uncertainty in the country. Meanwhile, the ECB meets this week to set monetary policy. While no change in interest rates is anticipated, traders will scrutinize the meeting for any guidance...