US Stocks plunged on Friday, as investors reacted to a weak July jobs report and a fresh round of tariffs announced by President Trump. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 1.6% and 2.2%, their steepest drops since April, while the Dow lost 542 points. Payrolls rose by just 73,000 in July, far below expectations, with sharp downward revisions to prior months signaling deeper labor market weakness. Treasury yields fell and the odds of a September Fed rate cut rose above 80%. Sentiment worsened after new tariffs of 10% to 41% were imposed on imports from key partners including Canada, India, and...
European markets closed higher on Tuesday (2/18), hitting another record high, as defense stocks continued to rally on expectations of higher national spending. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.32% higher at 557.17 points, the latest in a string of records this month. The Stoxx 600 Aerospace and Defense index, which also hit a record high during Monday's session, rose another 1%, with Polish defense equipment maker Lubawa jumping 14% and German defense producer Renk Group gaining 2.7%. Geopolitical tensions were in focus on Tuesday as U.S. officials held talks with Russia to end the...
The S&P 500 rose on Tuesday, trading near a record as stocks stay resilient despite rising global trade fears and persistent inflation worries. The broad market index gained 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, losing 83 points, or 0.2%. Nvidia climbed 3% to lead the tech sector higher. Microsoft traded slightly higher as well. Wall Street is coming off a winning week for the major averages. The Dow gained roughly 0.6% last week, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.5%. The Nasdaq rose 2.6%. Much of last week's advance came Thursday...
The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.25% to close at 39,270, while the broader Topix Index added 0.31% to reach 2,776 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session as the yen halted its recent rally, easing pressure on domestic equities. On Monday, data revealed that Japan's economy grew by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, up from 0.4% growth in the previous quarter and exceeding expectations of 0.3%. On an annualized basis, Japan's GDP expanded by 2.8% in Q4, in line with forecasts and accelerating from a 1.7% increase in Q3. However, investor sentiment remained cautious...
European markets edged higher at the open on Tuesday, as geopolitical tensions in the region boosted defense stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up around 0.18% shortly after the opening bell, with major bourses in mixed territory. Defense stocks, which hit a record high during Monday's session, continued their rally, with Renk Group gaining around 7% and German arms manufacturer up 3% in early deals. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Europe are likely to remain in focus for European markets this week as U.S. officials prepare for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine,...
Hong Kong's stock market ended higher on Tuesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.59 percent to close at 22,976.81 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index jumped 1.82 percent to end at 8,475.40 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 2.54 percent to close at 5,639.05 points. Source: CTX news