Stocks in Hong Kong surged 413 points, or 1.6%, to 26,043 in early trade on the first trading day of 2026, rebounding from losses in the previous session as markets reopened after the New Year break. Sentiment was lifted by a marked rise in U.S. futures, following solid year-end gains on Wall Street in 2025. While U.S. equities underperformed the strong returns of the past two years, annual gains remained resilient despite a global sell-off triggered by tariff announcements in April. All sectors of the Hang Seng Index participated in the rally, led by tech, consumer, and property stocks....
The Nikkei 225 closed today with a slight increase of +0.26% to 49,512.28. Fundamentally, the Japanese market is in a tug-of-war between positive domestic sentiment and interest rate concerns. On the one hand, Japanese export data is strong (supportive for global-oriented stocks), but on the other hand, the market is increasingly convinced that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates this week—this usually strengthens the yen and can pressure exporter stocks. Additional pressures come from less than ideal industrial activity indicators and fiscal issues: factory activity/machinery...
Equities in Hong Kong rose 104 points, or 0.4%, to 25,341 in early trade on Wednesday, rebounding from steep losses in the previous two sessions. Bargain hunting emerged after markets slid to a near four-week low the day before, lifting most sectors, particularly consumer and tech names. Meanwhile, mainland markets stabilized after closing sharply lower Tuesday, weighed earlier by renewed concerns over a prolonged property sector downturn and weak activity data in November. On the corporate front, China Vanke will hold a second meeting with bondholders starting Thursday, with voting...
The Nikkei 225 index weakened slightly by 0.1% to 49,336.22 after losing early gains. This decline followed declines in most US stock markets in the previous session, prompting Japanese investors to remain cautious. US employment data released Tuesday provided mixed signals for the market. According to the Sucden Financial research team, investors are reluctant to draw too many conclusions from the data. Expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve are also considered to be delayed, thus curbing risk appetite. Several stocks recorded significant declines. Eneos...
Asian stocks opened lower after weak US employment data did little to change expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.1%, extending its decline to a third day. This decline followed Wall Street, where the S&P 500 fell again, although the Nasdaq 100 still recorded a slight gain. Government bonds and the US dollar held steady after weakening in the previous session. Oil prices actually strengthened, with WTI rising more than 1% after President Donald Trump ordered a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela....
European stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.5% and the broader STOXX 600 slipping 0.4%, as optimism around Russia–Ukraine peace efforts prompted investors to reassess the outlook for military spending and weighed on defense shares. Defense names declined sharply, led by Rheinmetall (-4.6%), alongside losses in BAE Systems (-1.7%), Leonardo (-3.9%) and Thales (-1.6%). Technology heavyweights also pressured the market, with ASML Holding down 2.1% and SAP falling 1.4%, as softer global growth signals dampened appetite for cyclical tech exposure. In contrast, LVMH...