The Hang Seng Index plunged 265 points, or 1.1%, to close at 24,508 on Friday (August 1), weakening for a fourth session and hitting a two-week low. Risk sentiment weakened after the US imposed high tariffs on dozens of trading partners, while US futures prices fell sharply after higher June inflation data. The new tariffs are expected to add to price pressures, fueling concerns about further inflation. Traders are also cautious ahead of US employment data due later today. For the week, the index fell 3.5%, its first weekly decline in four weeks, amid concerns about slowing Chinese...
The S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Nasdaq was up 0.4% on Wednesday, rebounding after 4 consecutive session of losses, while the Dow Jones traded around the flatline. Consumer discretionary and tech were the top performing sectors while health and consumer staples underperformed. Traders are eagerly awaiting Nvidia's earnings report, due after the closing bell, particularly for any insights into the potential impact of the DeepSeek emergence. Nvidia shares were up approximately 2.5%. In addition, Lowe's Companies surged more than 1.7% after reporting a 0.2% increase in same-store sales,...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.6% and the STOXX 600 gained 0.5% on Wednesday, rebounding from a lackluster session the previous day. Investors focused on corporate earnings and monitored a minerals deal between Ukraine and the US aimed at developing Ukraine's natural resources, an agreement that could help ease recent tensions between the two countries. Mining companies led the gains, supported by a rise in copper prices after US President Donald Trump signaled potential import tariffs on the metal. The food and beverages sector also advanced. On the earnings front, Anheuser-Busch InBev surged over 7%...
The Hang Seng surged 754 points, or 3.3%, to close at a more than three-year high of 23,788 on Wednesday, rebounding sharply from the previous session's decline. The rally came as investors reacted positively to Hong Kong's 2024-25 budget, in which Financial Secretary Paul Chan unveiled plans to curb public spending and raise revenue to narrow the fiscal deficit. Meanwhile, payroll taxes and corporate profits taxes will be completely waived, with certain restrictions. Sentiment was further boosted by reports that Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a draft law introducing new safeguards against...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday, tracking declines in two key Wall Street benchmarks overnight after the U.S. consumer confidence survey came in much weaker than economists' estimates. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 and Topix were in negative territory for the second consecutive day. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.09%, while the broader Topix index was down 0.99% South Korea's Kospi rose 0.11% while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 0.52%. Mainland China's CSI300 index started the day 0.16% higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 1.71% at the open. The Asian financial hub's annual...
The Hang Seng Index opened 204 points, or 0.88%, higher at 23,238 points this morning. The National Enterprises Index climbed by 69 points, or 0.81%, to reach 8,568 points, while the Technology Index increased by 64 points, or 1.13%, to 5,763 points. At 10.10am, the Hang Seng Index was trading at 23,521.59, up by 487.57 points or 2.12%.In the tech sector, notable gains were seen with Tencent rising by 0.6%, Alibaba by 1.3%, Meituan by 1.5%, Xiaomi by 1.9%, JD.com by 1.8%, and Kuaishou by 0.2%.Financial stocks remained stable, with HSBC Holdings up by 2.1%, AIA Insurance gaining 0.5%, Ping An...