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....
US stock indexes closed higher in Wednesday's shortened trading session (December 24), maintaining strong momentum from this week amid expectations that the current economic backdrop continues to support earnings prospects for the coming year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow jumped 0.7%, both hitting record highs, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.3%. Yesterday's third-quarter GDP data was well above expectations for a 4.3% annual expansion, reflecting strong private consumption and curbing concerns that tariffs are hampering spending or fueling a surge in inflation. Meanwhile, initial...
The STOXX 50 index closed little changed at 5,749 during a shortened and quiet Christmas Eve trading session, while the STOXX 600 ended slightly above the flatline at 588.8, after closing at a record high the previous day. Luxury stocks outperformed, with LVMH jumping 0.8%, Hermes adding 0.6%, and L'Oreal edging up 0.3%. Iberdrola also rose 0.3%. Conversely, ASML Holding and AstraZeneca each fell 0.5%, Airbus fell 0.2%, and Unilever ended 0.4% lower. BP pared early gains to end down 0.4% after agreeing to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to Stonepeak. Elsewhere, Sanofi fell 0.7% after...
The Hang Seng Index rose 45 points, or 0.2%, to close at 25,819 on Wednesday, rebounding from a slight decline in the prior session as most sectors posted modest gains in thin holiday trading, led by financials. Sentiment was further lifted by a sixth straight advance in the Shanghai benchmark. Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced Tuesday plans to impose tariffs on Chinese semiconductor imports over Beijing's "unreasonable" push for chip industry dominance, though implementation will be delayed until June 2027, limiting near-term impact. Investors also looked ahead to November...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.1% and the STOXX 600 added 0.4% during the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, following the STOXX 600's close at a fresh record high the previous day. Trading volumes are expected to remain light, with no major economic releases scheduled in Europe. Commodity-linked stocks were among the top performers, led by energy shares amid rising oil and metal prices. BP gained 0.5% after agreeing to sell a 65% stake in Castrol to Stonepeak, while Shell rose 0.3% and TotalEnergies advanced 0.8%. The luxury sector also posted gains, with LVMH up 0.4%, Hermes adding 0.3%, and...
The Nikkei 225 fell 212 points, or 0.4%, to close at 50,255 on Wednesday, reversing early gains as sentiment turned sour amid a stronger yen that eroded overseas earnings for export-heavy firms. Autos led declines, with Toyota down 1.8%, Subaru off 1.2%, and Honda Motor slipping modestly. Financial shares also retreated, giving back part of last week's sharp rally after the Bank of Japan last week raised rates to a three-decade high. Meanwhile, minutes from the central bank's October meeting showed policymakers broadly agreed real interest rates remain low, reinforcing expectations of...