Hong Kong stocks rose 98 points, or 0.4%, to 24,607 in early trading on Monday, ending a four-day losing streak amid gains led by the property and technology sectors. Sentiment improved after China's top leaders pledged to support the economy and tackle "irregular competition" at last week's Politburo meeting. Beijing also confirmed plans to hold its fourth plenary session in October, which will likely focus on the next five-year plan. A modest rebound in US stock futures added support, following Wall Street's sharp decline on Friday due to weak employment data. On tariffs, US Treasury...
Hong Kong's equities surged 370 points or 1.6% to 23,313 in early trade on Monday, reversing losses from the previous two sessions as traders reacted positively to February's PMI readings in China. Factory activity in the country grew the most in three months, a private survey data showed. Meanwhile, official figures showed the manufacturing sectors unexpectedly expanded while the service economy rose slightly faster than expected. Source: Trading Economics
The Nikkei 225 Index surged 0.9% to around 37,500, while the broader Topix Index gained 1.1% to 2,711 on Monday, recovering some of last week's losses, supported by Wall Street's strong finish on Friday. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the March 4 deadline for US President Donald Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10% duty on Chinese goods. Geopolitical concerns also remained, as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to reach an agreement on Friday that could potentially end the war in Ukraine. Domestically, Japan's...
Asia-Pacific markets were set to rise Monday as investors awaited clarity about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to impose impose tariffs this week on key U.S. trading partners. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly told Fox News on Sunday that the exact tariff that will be levied against Mexico and Canada starting Tuesday is still "fluid," which means it could be lower than the proposed 25%. He added that the additional 10% duty on China imports is "set." Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 37,745 while its...
US stocks closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each up 1.6%, while the Dow gained 601 points. Investors weighed a tense exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Vance called Zelensky "disrespectful," while Trump accused Zelensky of "gambling with World War III." Trump's tariff threats also rekindled warnings of retaliation from China, raising uncertainty, especially in Big Tech. Economic data sent mixed signals: Core PCE inflation eased to 2.6% as expected, but consumer spending unexpectedly fell 0.2% in January. Nvidia...
European stocks pared early morning gains but still closed slightly lower on Friday, ending a volatile week as markets continued to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs on the EU on the European economy. The Eurozone STOXX 50 fell 0.4% to close at 5,451, not too far from a record high hit last week, while the STOXX 600 closed just below the flatline at 557, just below Wednesday's all-time high. Technology stocks led the declines as markets weighed the cautious outlook for the U.S. tech sector and potential tariffs from Washington, with ASML and Infineon down 3-1% and 2.2% respectively. In turn,...