Europe's STOXX 600 closed at a record high on Wednesday, with healthcare stocks leading the way after a U.S.-Pfizer deal reduced uncertainty in the sector, while investors digested the beginning of a U.S. government shutdown. The pan-European STOXX 600 surged 1.2% to log its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 23. Most regional bourses were also trading higher, with London's FTSE 100 at a record high. Healthcare stocks jumped 5.4%, marking their biggest one-day performance since November 2008. On Tuesday, Pfizer agreed to lower prescription drug prices in the U.S. Medicaid programme...
Stocks in the US closed higher on Wednesday, extending their recent momentum as growing expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September continued to lift sentiment. The S&P 500 gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq added 0.1%, with both indexes briefly hitting record highs, while the Dow Jones advanced 463 points. The rally built on Tuesday's surge, sparked by a softer-than-expected inflation reading that reinforced bets on monetary easing, with traders fully pricing in a September cut and some anticipating a 50 basis-point move. Sector gains were led by materials, healthcare, and...
European stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday, their highest in two weeks as the outlook of lower interest rates in the United States and the possibility of lower energy prices supported a backdrop of stronger growth in the bloc. The STOXX 50 gained 1% to 5,390 and the STOXX 600 jumped 0.6% to 551. The heavyweight sectors of banks, luxury, and tech were among the largest gainers of the session with Intesa Sanpaolo, LVMH, Kering, SAP, and Prosus jumping between 4% and 1.5%. Healthcare also closed sharply higher following their volatile momentum in the first half of the month, with...
Stocks rose Wednesday, adding to their recent momentum as expectations for lower U.S. Federal Reserve rates continue driving the major indexes to all-time highs. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively, reaching fresh record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1250 points, or 0.6%. AMD popped more than 5% to lead gains in tech. Apple also advanced about 1%, along with Oracle. Those moves followed a record-setting session Tuesday sparked by a tamer-than-expected inflation report that gave investors hope of a Fed rate cut in September. Traders...
The Hang Seng jumped 644 points or 2.6% to finish at 25,614 on Wednesday, notching its highest level in two weeks while marking the largest one-day rise since mid-May. It was the second straight advance, with all sectors rallying. Sentiment was boosted by China's year-long plan to subsidize consumer loan interest—90% funded by the central government and 10% by provinces—to spur household spending. A strong Wall Street session on Tuesday also supported risk appetite, as slower U.S. inflation data reinforced bets of a Fed rate cut in September and suggested limited pass-through from U.S....
European stocks rose, following U.S. stocks that closed at record highs, as easing concerns about price pressures fueled speculation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.5% as of 8:24 a.m. in London, trading at its highest level in nearly two weeks. Technology and construction stocks led the gains, while energy stocks led the declines. In individual stocks, Vestas Wind Systems A/S fell as the Danish wind turbine company's quarterly failure to achieve profitability raised questions about its margin targets for the year. Nordic Semiconductor...