European equity markets extended their rally on the first trading day of 2026, with benchmark indices pushing to fresh record highs despite thin liquidity following the New Year holiday. Gains were led by defense stocks, underpinned by persistent geopolitical tensions and expectations of increased military spending across the region. The STOXX 50 climbed 0.7% to a new all-time high of 5,830 points, while the broader STOXX 600 rose 0.4% to a record 595 points. The strong start to the year follows a robust performance in 2025, when the STOXX 50 advanced about 18% and the STOXX 600 rose 17%,...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1.14% to close at 50,446 on Friday (December 5), while the Topix index fell 1.05% to 3,363. This decline erased some of the previous session's gains, as speculation intensified that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could raise interest rates later this month. Reports stated that key members of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government would not oppose a BOJ move in December, although some senior officials remained cautious about the timing. The market has even priced in the possibility of one or two additional rate hikes next year. Negative sentiment also carried over from...
Hong Kong equities eased at the start of trading, with the Hang Seng Index down 102 points, or 0.39%, at 25,833. The China Enterprises Index fell 29 points, or 0.32%, to 9,077, while the Tech Index declined 23 points, or 0.41%, to 5,592. Technology counters were broadly weaker. Tencent retreated 1.1%, Alibaba slipped 0.7%, Meituan lost 0.5%, Xiaomi fell 0.6% and JD.com edged down 0.9%, while Kuaishou was unchanged. Financials were mixed. HSBC dipped 0.2% and AIA fell 0.8%, whereas Ping An gained 0.9%. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing dropped 1%. Source : dimsumdaily.hk
Asia-Pacific stock markets opened lower on Friday, following the sluggish sentiment on Wall Street. In Australia, the ASX/S&P 200 fell 0.17%. In Japan, pressure was stronger: the Nikkei 225 fell 1.36% and the Topix fell 1.12%, as the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds rose to 1.94%, its highest level since July 2007. This increase in yields heightened market concerns about potentially higher borrowing costs. In South Korea, the Kospi moved near the flatline, while the Kosdaq weakened 0.25%. In Hong Kong, Hang Seng futures indicated a slightly lower opening at around 25,900,...
Japanese stock markets weakened, with the Nikkei index falling 1.3% to 50,378.09. This pressure arose from concerns that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could soon raise interest rates, coupled with still-strong US labor market data. This sentiment made investors more cautious and tended to reduce positions in risky assets. Electronics and retail stocks were the most heavily sold. Renesas Electronics fell 4.3%, while Aeon Co. fell 2.4%, reflecting concerns that higher borrowing costs could depress consumption and investment. In the foreign exchange market, USD/JPY traded at 155.16, slightly...
The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Thursday (December 4th) relatively flat as investors focused on next week's Federal Reserve decision and weighed mixed US employment signals, which have the market highly anticipating a 25bps interest rate cut. ADP reported a surprise decline of about 32,000 in private sector payrolls, while Challenger reported 71,321 job cuts announced in November, reinforcing expectations of easing despite weekly initial claims falling to about 191,000. Treasury yields edged higher, with the 10-year yield near 4.10%, pressuring...