Europe's STOXX 600 closed at a record high on Wednesday, with healthcare stocks leading the way after a U.S.-Pfizer deal reduced uncertainty in the sector, while investors digested the beginning of a U.S. government shutdown. The pan-European STOXX 600 surged 1.2% to log its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 23. Most regional bourses were also trading higher, with London's FTSE 100 at a record high. Healthcare stocks jumped 5.4%, marking their biggest one-day performance since November 2008. On Tuesday, Pfizer agreed to lower prescription drug prices in the U.S. Medicaid programme...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose investors assessed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting of leaders in Tianjin, with tariff uncertainty weighing on sentiment. This comes after a U.S. federal appeals court on Friday ruled that most of President Donald Trump's global tariffs are illegal. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.31%, while the broader Topix index added 0.28%. Over in South Korea, the Kospi index increased by 0.45%, while the small-cap Kosdaq moved up 0.14%. The country's consumer price index rose 1.7% in August from the year before, after increasing by 2.1% the month before. This...
European shares finished marginally higher on Monday, supported by defence stocks, while Novo Nordisk gained after data showed its weight-loss drug Wegovy delivers stronger heart-protective benefits than Eli Lilly's rival therapies. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed up 0.17% at 551.07, with gains led by the aerospace and defence index, which surged 2.1% to hover near a record high. Defence giants, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Rheinmetall and Hensoldt advanced between 2.8% and 4.5%. Gains followed a Financial Times report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was...
The Hang Seng Index surged 540 points, or 2.2%, to close at 25,617 on Monday (September 1), its biggest one-day gain since August 13 and its second consecutive gain, driven by broad gains. Consumer stocks surged about 3%, followed by solid gains in the technology and property sectors. Sentiment was boosted by upbeat August manufacturing PMI data in China from a private survey, which showed strong growth in new output and new orders. Meanwhile, mainland Chinese equities rose for a third session as abundant liquidity encouraged higher yields. Gains were partly capped by mixed US index...
European bourses opened September in positive territory, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 rising nearly 0.3% after modest gains in August. Trading is expected to remain subdued today, as US markets are closed for Labor Day and few economic data releases are scheduled, aside from stronger-than-expected Q2 GDP growth in Turkey. Investors are now looking ahead to this week's US jobs report, which will help shape expectations for the Federal Reserve's next policy move. On the corporate front, Novo Nordisk shares gained 2.9% after the company reported that its weight-loss drug Wegovy reduces...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.22%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Olympus Corp. (TYO:7733), which rose 4.64% or 80.00 points to trade at 1,802.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Dentsu Inc. (TYO:4324) added 3.59% or 105.00 points to end at 3,029.00 and Eisai Co., Ltd. (TYO:4523) was up 3.55% or 161.00 points to 4,699.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857), which fell...