US stocks opened sharply lower in August, with all three major indexes falling more than 1%, as a weaker-than-expected jobs report fueled renewed concerns about the strength of the US labor market and the overall economy. Non-farm payrolls rose by just 73,000 in July, and employment figures for May and June were revised down by 258,000, adding to evidence that the labor market is slowing more rapidly than anticipated. The weaker data fueled expectations that the Fed would cut interest rates twice this year, with another cut likely in September. Market pressure intensified when President...
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...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1% to below 37,900 on Wednesday, hitting its lowest level in three months, mirroring losses on Wall Street amid growing economic concerns. Investors are also awaiting Nvidia's earnings report later today to assess whether the artificial intelligence rally remains strong. Meanwhile, traders in Japan are gearing up for a series of key economic reports due on Friday, which could provide fresh insights into the Bank of Japan's future monetary policy. The data, including figures on industrial production, retail sales, and Tokyo inflation, will be closely watched. Chip...
Stocks fell broadly on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 on track for its fourth straight decline, as traders weighed concerns about economic growth and global trade. The broad-market index fell 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1%, with Nvidia's 1.4% drop leading the decliners. This week's losses have pulled the tech-focused Nasdaq into negative territory for the year. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading higher by 220 points, or 0.5%. The market fell after the Conference Board's latest consumer confidence survey came in much weaker than economists had expected. It followed a...
European stocks closed near the flatline on Tuesday (25/2), the fourth straight session of flat movement as markets continued to assess the prospect of higher government spending by European governments and the impact of trade barriers imposed by the U.S. The eurozone STOXX 50 closed 0.1% lower at 5,448 and the pan-European STOXX 600 gained 0.2% to 554. German carmakers were among the biggest gainers despite U.S. President Trump's announcement that the U.S. would follow through on earlier tariff threats against Mexico, a major manufacturing hub for European writers. Volkswagen, BMW and...
The S&P 500 hovered around the flatline on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.4% following three consecutive sessions of losses. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones added about 100 points. Investor sentiment remained pressured by geopolitical and trade tensions after President Trump confirmed that tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, previously paused for a month, will take effect next week. Additionally, reports surfaced that the US is tightening restrictions on China's chip industry.Tech, communication services, and utilities were the worst-performing sectors, while real estate, materials,...