The Hang Seng closed almost flat at 24,911 on Wednesday after dipping slightly in morning deals. Traders digested comments from President Trump, who said the U.S. was close to a trade deal with China and that he would meet President Xi before year-end if an agreement is reached. Investors also looked ahead to key Chinese economic data, including trade figures on Thursday and inflation on Saturday, amid concerns over rising trade barriers and persistent deflation risks. At the same time, markets braced for a possible new U.S. tariff announcement targeting semiconductors and chips, expected...
European stocks rallied by the most since March 2022, a day after US President Donald Trump paused plans to implement higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of trade partners, easing concerns for the moment about potential damages from a global trade war. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 3.7%, trimming earlier gains of as much as 7.3%. All sectors were in the green, with financial services and banks leading gains. France's CAC 40 advanced 3.8% and Germany's DAX added 4.5%. Trump announced a 90-day tariff reprieve Wednesday, providing relief for European...
Stocks fell on Thursday after a massive rally on Wall Street spurred by President Donald Trump announcing a 90-day reprieve on some of his "reciprocal" tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 744 points, or 1.8%. The S&P 500 shed 2.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 2.8%. The major averages are still down sharply since the tariffs were announced on April 2. The S&P 500 is lower by more than 6% in that time, along with the Dow and Nasdaq. Leading the declines were Apple and Tesla, which pulled back more than 3 and 5%, respectively. Nvidia lost 4.9%, while Meta Platforms...
The Hang Seng jumped 417 points or 2.1% to end at 20,682 on Thursday, marking its third straight gain as traders shrugged off Washington's latest tariff hike on Chinese goods—from 104% to 125%- on bets Beijing will do more to shield the economy from levies. China also released a White Paper showing a willingness to engage with the U.S. to ease a trade war while vowing to take firm measures to defend its interests. Sentiment was further lifted by reports that top Chinese leaders were meeting to discuss new support measures, with regulators exploring fresh steps to calm markets. Adding to...
Japan's Nikkei share average jumped 9% on Thursday as investors scooped up beaten-down stocks after U.S. President Donald Trump declared an immediate 90-day tariff pause for many countries. The Nikkei rose 9.13% to 34,609 in its biggest daily gain since August 6, the day after the index fell in its biggest single-day rout since the 1987 Black Monday crash. The broader Topix climbed 8.09% to 2,539.4. "Investors bought back stocks today, wishing that they had not dumped stocks in the previous session," said Seiichi Suzuki, chief equity market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence...
European markets rose sharply at the open on Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily reversed course on tariffs. The regional Stoxx 600 index was 7.04% higher shortly after the opening bell, with stocks across the board surging to place all individual sectors firmly in positive territory. Banking, tech and industrials stocks notched the biggest gains, surging 10%, 9.9% and 9.1%, respectively. In a volatile week for markets that has been marked by sharp moves higher and lower, the pan-European Stoxx 600 ended the prior session down 3.5% at its lowest closing level since...