Hong Kong stocks edged lower on Thursday morning, holding at around 24,906 and ending a three-session winning streak, driven primarily by technology and consumer stocks. Sentiment weakened after US President Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, sparking concerns about a protracted trade war. Investors also grew cautious ahead of China's July trade data due later today, as Trump's unpredictable tariff policies have increased pressure on the Chinese economy. The losses were offset by a modest rise in US futures, amid reports that trading partners were rushing to finalize...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1% to around 37,700 while the broader Topix index fell 0.7% to 2,745 on Thursday, with Japanese shares dropping for a second straight session as the recent market rally fueled by the U.S.-China trade deal lost momentum. Analysts noted that while easing global trade tensions offered some relief, the broader outlook for corporate earnings and economic growth remained largely unchanged. Investors were also watching developments in a potential U.S.-Japan trade agreement, with Tokyo aiming to finalize a deal by June. In corporate news, Sony Group tumbled 4.7% after...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday (15/5), after mostly gaining in the previous session on easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.90%, while the Topix lost 0.75%. South Korea's Kospi declined 0.29% while the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.37%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.42%, while mainland China's CSI 300 was flat. "While markets have largely priced in peak tariff-related macro stress, we remain wary of a second wave of volatility, this time driven by fiscal policy uncertainty and weakening...
US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed evolving trade policies and recent strength in the tech sector. The S&P 500 added 0.1% after erasing its losses for the year, while the Dow slipped 89 points and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7%, boosted by gains in major chipmakers. Nvidia climbed 3% following reports of AI chip shipments to Saudi Arabia, and AMD jumped 4% after unveiling a $6 billion share buyback plan. The broader AI rally fueled a 17% surge in Super Micro Computer, helping lift overall market sentiment. Optimism was further supported by a temporary U.S.-China tariff...
European stocks closed slightly lower, halting the strong momentum for equities from the week as markets took profits and continued to assess risks to the European corporate outlook from pending tariffs by the US. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 lost 0.3% to close at 5,400 and the pan-European STOXX 600 pulled back 0.4% to 542. Consumer discretionary extended their volatile momentum to record losses, with LVMH and Kering dropping 2% and 3%, while L'Oreal slumped 3.3%. In turn, healthcare continued to decline as US President Trump was due to pass policy to cap drug prices, with Sanofi and Bayer...
US stocks rose on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones up 0.2% while the Nasdaq gained 0.6%. The gains came after the S&P 500 turned positive for the year a day earlier, although momentum from the recent rally, fueled by the U.S.-China tariff cuts, appeared to be fading. Investors also eyed President Trump's visit to the Middle East, which has drawn attention to the market. The technology sector was the best performer so far while real estate and utilities underperformed. Nvidia shares jumped more than 3%, building on a 5.6% gain from the previous session as the company will...