Asian stock markets opened cautiously at the start of the week, with the MSCI Asia Pacific index rising slightly by 0.2%. The Kospi led the gains, while Japan's Nikkei index fell 0.5% after data showed the Japanese economy contracted again. Japanese retail and tourism stocks also weakened due to escalating tensions with China. US stock futures rose 0.3%, providing some positive sentiment. Investors are now awaiting a slew of US economic data, which returns after a long pause due to the shutdown, including the jobs report. At the same time, risk appetite appears to be weakening as AI stock...
Japanese stocks are trading higher, supported by positive overnight cues from the U.S. and a decline in Treasury yields. The Nikkei Stock Average is up 0.9% at 42308.62, helped by technology and financial stocks. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is 1.1% higher, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Mizuho Financial are trading up 0.7% each. Semiconductor Equipment & Materials Makers are higher with Advantest adding 2.2% and Tokyo Electron 0.4%. USD/JPY is down 0.5% at 148.06. Source: Bloomberg
Wall Street ended mixed on Wednesday as tech strength offset broader market weakness, with investors weighing a favorable antitrust ruling for Google against signs of labor market softening. The S&P 500 gained 0.5% and the Nasdaq rose 1%, supported by a 9.1% surge in Alphabet shares after a judge allowed the company to keep Chrome and maintain its lucrative search deal with Apple, easing fears of a forced breakup. Apple stock rose 3.8%, helping boost confidence in Big Tech's resilience despite regulatory pressures. Conversely, the Dow fell 24 points as weakness in financials and energy...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he plans to hold talks about the war in Ukraine in coming days after his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August failed to achieve a breakthrough. Trump has been frustrated at his inability to get a halt to the fighting, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after he initially predicted he would be able to end the war swiftly when he took office last January. Trump said he would be holding talks in the next few days. A White House official said Trump is expected to speak on the phone on Thursday...
European shares ended higher on Wednesday, stabilising as investors assessed fiscal challenges after a selloff in longer-dated bonds had sparked risk-off sentiment in the previous session. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index closed 0.65% higher at 546.72 points, boosted by healthcare stocks such as Roche Holdings and AstraZeneca. Basic resources also extended support by rising 1.5%, influenced by a jump in copper prices on growing expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut later in the month. The day's moves follow the STOXX 600's biggest one-day loss in a month on Tuesday, driven by a...
A rally in the world's largest tech companies drove stocks higher as bonds rebounded after weak jobs data validated wagers the Federal Reserve will resume cutting rates in September. Equities extended gains and bond yields fell after data showed US job openings fell in July to the lowest in 10 months, reinforcing bets on at least two Fed reductions in 2025. Following a two-day slide, the S&P 500 also gained amid a court victory for Big Tech that saw Alphabet Inc. surging 8% as Google dodged a sale of its Chrome web...