The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Nasdaq gained 0.6% and the Dow Jones hovered near the flatline. Investors kept a cautious eye on the ongoing US government shutdown, though markets largely shrugged off concerns, awaiting further developments and hoping the stalemate proves short-lived. Technology led sector gains after OpenAI raised $6.6 billion in a share sale valuing the company at $500 billion and announced an agreement with South Korean chipmakers. Industrials, energy and consumer discretionary stocks also advanced, while real estate lagged. Among...
US stocks inched lower on Tuesday, extending the slight drop from the previous session and trackingTreasury bonds amid fresh concerns over the independence of the Federal Reserve and new threats of tariffs. The three main equity indices were marginally below the flatline. President Trump started the process to fire Fed Governor Cook on allegations of mortgage fraud, extending the President's efforts to influence FOMC members amid persistent calls that interest rates should be over two percentage points lower. The dented demand for risk for equities, even if the dollar and long-maturity...
The Hang Seng Index plunged 305 points, or 1.2%, to close at 25,525 on Tuesday, after posting two consecutive days of gains amid widespread losses. Sentiment worsened after US index futures fell sharply following President Trump's firing of Fed Chair Lisa Cook and his threat of "200% tariffs" on China if rare earth magnet exports were restricted. Trump also vowed to retaliate against countries that regulate major US technology companies. The index retreated from a nearly four-year high on growing concerns that mainland Chinese stocks might weaken after a month-long rally that lifted the...
European stocks traded sharply lower on Tuesday, with the Stoxx 50 down by around 1%. French stocks tumbled as political turmoil deepened after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called a Sept. 8 confidence vote that could topple the government. The CAC 40 fell 1.9%, dragging down European benchmarks, while the FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% on reopening after a holiday. Opposition parties, including the far-right National Rally, France Unbowed, and the Greens, vowed to vote against Bayrou, leaving the government vulnerable. Broader European markets remain under pressure from sluggish growth and...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.97% to close at 42,394, while the broader Topix Index fell 1.08% to 3,072 on Tuesday, snapping a two-day advance and mirroring overnight weakness on Wall Street as investors locked in profits after last week's rally. Market sentiment was also dented by renewed trade tensions after US President Donald Trump reportedly threatened to impose "200% tariffs or something" on China if it failed to export rare-earth magnets to the US. Adding to uncertainty, Trump announced the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, raising fresh...
Hong Kong stocks fell 98 points, or 0.4% to 25,734 in Tuesday morning's session, snapping a two-day rally after Wall Street closed lower as traders weighed U.S. President Trump's tariff threats. Trump reportedly warned of "200% tariffs or something" on China if it limits rare-earth magnet exports, and vowed retaliation against countries targeting U.S. Big Tech, calling such moves "discriminatory." The Hang Seng pulled back from its highest in almost four years as caution grew ahead of China's January–July industrial profit data, with sentiment weighed by trade frictions, weak demand, and...