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....
Asian stock markets opened with limited movement on Wednesday morning (December 31, 2025), ahead of the year's close. Most indices moved slightly and without a clear direction, reflecting the cautious attitude of investors who chose to hold off before entering the new year. Trading activity also tended to be quiet as some market participants had already begun their year-end holidays. In East Asia, the Japanese stock market saw a slight decline at the start of the session, while Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets moved mixed. Investors were still monitoring global conditions, particularly...
US stocks maintained their sluggish momentum on Tuesday afternoon, expected to close the year relatively close to recent record highs as the market assessed the prospects for strong economic growth and the Fed's interest rate cuts amid concerns about excessive valuations for AI companies. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow held off from deviating significantly from the flatline. The minutes from the Fed's latest meeting confirmed that the FOMC was divided on how to weigh the conflicting risks of high inflation and unemployment next year, although there was broad consensus that there was...
European stocks picked up steam on Tuesday, extending gains to notch a fresh record high. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed 0.7% higher, having earlier broken through 590 points to hit a new record. The U.K.'s FTSE, France's CAC 40, and Germany's DAX all ended the session more than 0.6% higher, while Italy's FTSE MIB gained 1.2%. Mining stocks were the top performers, with London-listed Fresnillo gaining 6%. Peer miners Anglo American, Antofagasta, and Glencore rose around 3%, respectively. Precious metals, notably gold and silver, were firmly in focus for investors...
US stocks held their muted momentum on Tuesday, set to close the year relatively near recent record highs as markets assessed the outlook of robust economic growth and rate cuts by the Fed against concerns of exaggerated valuations for AI companies. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow refrained from deviating too much from the flatline. The thin holiday trading and data schedule removed catalysts for markets, maintaining the spotlight on miners as supply concerns and speculative bets lifted copper and silver futures toward record highs, although Freeport McMoRan extended losses. In the...
The Hang Seng rose 219 points, or 0.9%, to end at 25,855 on Tuesday, reversing prior losses with broad-based sector gains. Tech stocks led the rally, up 1.7% on strong moves from SMIC (4.5%), Horizon Robotics (3.3%), Trip.com (1.9%), and Kuaishou Tech (1.0%). Consumer shares also advanced, while financials edged higher after Hong Kong's November trade data showed exports and imports rising the most in four years, underscoring firm demand both abroad and at home. Sentiment was further boosted by six Chinese firms debuting in Hong Kong, most opening above IPO prices, capping a strong year...