Hong Kong shares were little changed in Friday morning deals, hovering around 26,165 after two sessions of declines, as weakness in property and financials was offset by gains in tech and consumer stocks. Traders assessed China's CPI data showing consumer prices flat in 2025, below the official target of around 2%, even as December inflation hit a near 3-year high of 0.8%. Meanwhile, producer prices in the country fell for the 39th straight month, although the pace of decline eased slightly. In the U.S., stock futures were steady ahead of key jobs data, while the Supreme Court prepared to...
European stocks fell after a sluggish session on Wall Street, weighed down by disappointing results from L'Oréal SA and Hermes International SCA. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.3% as of 8:17 a.m. in London. The technology sector fell 1.2% after Texas Instruments Inc. provided a weaker-than-expected outlook, adding to concerns that the semiconductor industry's recovery is faltering. Meanwhile, mining and energy stocks led gains. Britain's FTSE 100 Index outperformed, rising 0.5%, as easing inflation reinforced expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in the coming months....
The Nikkei 225 closed nearly flat on Wednesday (October 22nd), hovering around 49,308 (-0.02%), after a rally to its previous record triggered profit-taking—particularly in technology stocks—leading to volatile movement throughout the session. This "flat" closing tone aligns with the weakening technology sector in Asia following Wall Street's sluggish performance. On the sentiment side, the market weighed news that new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing a large stimulus package—a factor that temporarily curbed intraday declines—as well as data showing Japanese exports rose 4.2%...
The Hang Seng Index fell 0.7% to 25,842.83 as of 10:00 a.m. local time, following a pause in Wall Street's rally as the S&P 500 stalled and the Nasdaq slipped 0.2%. Pressure came from tech stocks: NetEase slumped 3.3% to HK$232.40, Alibaba fell 2.3% to HK$161.30, and Baidu retreated 2% to HK$115. Precious metals stocks also took a hit—Zijin Mining fell 5.6% to HK$30.58 and jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook fell 4.3% to HK$15.91—as gold held below US$4,100/oz after a sharp correction and silver weakened 7.9% to US$48.54. Index losses were limited by Pop Mart International's 4.5% surge to...
Asian stock markets fell on Wednesday, as investors digested Japanese trade data and the formation of a new government in Tokyo. Japanese exports rose 4.2% year-on-year in September—breaking a four-month decline—but still below expectations of 4.6%. The rise in Asia helped offset weakening shipments to the US.The cabinet of new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was officially sworn in. Shinjiro Koizumi was appointed defense minister, while Satsuki Katayama became Japan's first female finance minister. Market sentiment remains cautious amid this political transition.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell...
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.7% at 48988.23, dragged by chip and metals stocks, as profit-taking kicks in following their recent surge. SoftBank Group is down 8.3%, Advantest is 2.8% lower while Sumitomo Metal Mining is down 5.3% and JX Advanced Metals is 4.5% lower. Meanwhile, auto stocks are higher thanks to a weaker yen and hopes for lower taxes on gas in Japan. Toyota Motor is up 4.2% and Honda Motor is 3.6% higher. The broader market index Topix is up 0.2% at 3255.47. USD/JPY is at 151.63, compared with 151.57 as of Tuesday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing...