European stocks posted slight declines on Monday (July 21st) as markets continued to assess the trade outlook in the European Union. The Eurozone STOXX 50 fell 0.3% to close at 5,342, and the pan-European STOXX 600 fell 0.1% to 546. US officials maintained the threat of 30% tariffs on EU exports while the EU Commission continued to negotiate lower tariffs ahead of the August 1st deadline. Meanwhile, the EU also signaled that aggressive retaliation would be pursued if no deal was reached, risking escalation and higher prices in the bloc. Shares of luxury goods giants led the decline in the...
United States Stock Market The three major US indexes traded flat on Monday, as trade tensions escalated following President Trump's weekend announcement of 30% tariffs on imports from the EU and Mexico, which will take effect on August 1. Leaders from both trading partners have pledged to continue negotiations with the US in hopes of reaching a deal that could reduce the tariff hikes. Meanwhile, investors are gearing up for tomorrow's key CPI report, which is expected to show rising inflation as companies begin to pass on higher import costs. Healthcare and energy were the...
The Hang Seng Index rose 64 points, or 0.3%, to close at 24,203 on Monday (July 14), extending gains for the third consecutive session as investors responded positively to Chinese trade data. Exports grew 5.8% year-on-year (yoy) in June, beating the 5% projection as companies accelerated deliveries amid a fragile tariff truce ahead of the August deadline. Meanwhile, imports grew 1.1% after a 3.4% decline in May. Adding to optimism, new yuan loans increased faster than expected in June, driven by a seasonal surge in loan issuance and strong government bond sales. However, further gains were...
European stocks fell on Monday after President Donald Trump dialed up trade tensions by announcing a 30% tariff on goods from the region. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.5% as of 8:20 a.m. in London. The consumer and auto sectors were the biggest laggards. Following renewed tariff pressure from Trump, the European Union is getting ready to step up its engagement with other countries hit by levies. The region's benchmark is still up slightly in July, with investors turning their attention to the impact of duties on earnings. "While 30% tariffs on the EU...
Japanese shares ended lower on Monday as a Bank of Japan survey showed 85% of households expect prices to rise, while the central bank may potentially raise its inflation forecast this month on stubborn food costs. The Nikkei 225 declined 0.28%, or 110.06 points, to end at 39,459.62. About 85% of Japanese households expect prices to rise over the next year, slightly down from 86.7% in March, a Bank of Japan survey showed on Monday. The central bank is considering raising its inflation forecast for the current fiscal year due to rising food costs, Reuters reported, citing sources. However,...
The Hang Seng Index opened 39 points lower, a decline of 0.16%, settling at 24,100 points. Meanwhile, the China Enterprises Index dropped 8 points or 0.09% to 8,679 points, and the Technology Index fell 8 points or 0.15% to 5,240 points. Technology stocks showed mixed performance: Tencent edged up 0.1%, Alibaba slipped 0.6%, Meituan declined 0.1%, Xiaomi Group gained 0.2%, and Kuaishou rose 0.5%. Financial stocks were generally weaker. HSBC Holdings dropped 1.1%, AIA Group fell 0.5%, Ping An Insurance edged up 0.1%, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange declined 0.1%. Automotive stocks also saw...