Wall Street's indexes closed at record highs on Wednesday, buoyed by strong sector performance and optimism that the US government shutdown will be brief. Investors shrugged off the first day of the shutdown and weaker-than-expected private payrolls data, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.3%, the Nasdaq 100 rising 0.5%, and the Dow adding 43 points. Health-care stocks led the advance, driven by sharp gains in Regeneron (+6.7%), Moderna (+6.8%), Eli Lilly (+8.2%), and AbbVie (+5.5%), while optimism over Pfizer's (+2.2%) deal with the White House on Medicaid drug pricing provided additional...
Hong Kong shares were little changed on Thursday morning, holding near 25,174 after a modest gain in the previous session. Investors digested minutes from the latest FOMC meeting, which struck a hawkish tone amid lingering inflation risks. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump reportedly called on Fed Governor Lisa Cook to resign over allegations of providing false information to secure favorable mortgage terms. In China, equities extended gains as funds rotated into stocks despite ongoing U.S. trade tensions, while Beijing pressed ahead with curbs on excessive competition. Sector performance...
Japanese stocks are lower in early trade after U.S. tech stock selling continued overnight. Pharmaceutical and auto stocks are leading the declines. Daiichi Sankyo is down 5.6% and Honda Motor is 1.7% lower. USD/JPY is at 147.37, compared with 147.23 as of Wednesday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are watching for any developments related to the war in Ukraine and domestic politics. The Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.2% at 42790.90. Source: Marketwatch
Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose as investors assessed the four-day losing streak for the S&P 500, led by declines in tech stocks. Investors in the region are awaiting India's HSBC Composite flash purchasing managers' index reading for August, which provides an early snapshot of the performance of the private sector economy, expected later in the day. Economists polled by Reuters expect it to come in at 60.5, compared with 61.1 in the month before. Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 0.21% in early trade, while the broader Topix index ticked down 0.4%. In South Korea, the Kospi index rose...
US equities fell on Wednesday as skepticism on grounds for future AI returns pressured tech companies, while markets assessed earnings from retailers and FOMC minutes. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 lost 0.5% and 1%, respectively, while the Dow was slightly lower. Magnificent 7 companies fell further for a second session, coinciding with research noting that most AI firms will not be profitable. Nvidia, Meta, and Alphabet were over 1% down. In turn, retail earnings were mixed. Target slumped 10% as it revealed a new CEO, despite beating earnings, while Estee Lauder lost 4% on a...
European indices were mixed on Wednesday following a tech-led selloff on Wall Street, while U.K. inflation came in hotter than expected, raising doubts over future monetary easing by the Bank of England. The DAX index in Germany dropped 0.7%, while the CAC 40 in France slipped 0.1% and the FTSE 100 in the U.K. rallied 1.1%. Tech-led weakness European markets have followed their Asian counterparts lower on Wednesday, following the overnight weakness on Wall Street after tech stocks fretted about President Donald Trump's growing influence over the sector. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard...