The Hang Seng Index plunged 265 points, or 1.1%, to close at 24,508 on Friday (August 1), weakening for a fourth session and hitting a two-week low. Risk sentiment weakened after the US imposed high tariffs on dozens of trading partners, while US futures prices fell sharply after higher June inflation data. The new tariffs are expected to add to price pressures, fueling concerns about further inflation. Traders are also cautious ahead of US employment data due later today. For the week, the index fell 3.5%, its first weekly decline in four weeks, amid concerns about slowing Chinese...
(Hong Kong) The Hang Seng Index has opened with a notable increase of 513 points, or 2.27%, reaching 23,090 points. Meanwhile, the National Enterprises Index rose by 203 points, equivalent to 2.45%, settling at 8,526 points. The Technology Index also saw significant gains, climbing 184 points, or 3.36%, to 5,684 points.Leading the charge were technology stocks, with Alibaba experiencing a remarkable surge of 10% after its earnings report. Tencent rose by 3.7%, Meituan by 1.2%, Xiaomi Group by 1.8%, JD.com by 4.5%, Kuaishou by 4.5%, and Bilibili saw an impressive increase of 9.4%.In the...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.5% to below 38,500, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.3% to 2,726 on Friday, marking a third consecutive session of declines. The pullback came as hotter-than-expected inflation figures reinforced a hawkish outlook for Bank of Japan monetary policy. Data revealed that core inflation in Japan accelerated to 3.2% in January, up from 3% in December, surpassing forecasts of 3.1%. Headline inflation also rose to 4% from 3.6%, hitting a two-year high. The benchmark indexes were further pressured this week by US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and hawkish...
US stocks slumped on Thursday after Walmart's disappointing outlook raised concerns about economic growth. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 retreated from record highs, down 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 450 points, weighing on Walmart's shares. Despite beating earnings expectations, Walmart's cautious fiscal 2026 guidance sent its shares down 6.5%, dragging down other retailers such as Target (-2%) and Costco (-2.6%). Investor sentiment was further dampened as Palantir slumped 5.3% amid reports of impending Pentagon budget cuts and its CEO's...
European stocks closed mostly lower on Thursday, pressured by a mix of corporate earnings reports as markets continued to assess the impact of potential U.S. trade barriers and higher defense spending by EU members. The euro zone STOXX 50 closed flat at 5,453, maintaining yesterday's decline from Monday's record high, while the STOXX 600 edged down 0.2% to 551. Airbus fell 2.3% after posting downbeat results and hinting it may have to delay U.S. deliveries to focus on other customers if the U.S. government follows through on tariffs. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, reported a 40% drop in its car...
US stocks traded lower on Thursday, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.2% after reaching a new all-time high the day before, the Nasdaq losing 0.1%, and the Dow Jones dropping 170 points. Walmart shares tumbled nearly 5% after issuing weaker-than-expected fiscal 2026 guidance, despite exceeding Q4 earnings estimates. Almost all sectors traded in the red, with consumer staples emerging as the worst performer. Meanwhile, investor sentiment remained pressured by geopolitical and economic concerns, particularly fears over trade tariffs and US policy uncertainty. On the economic data front, weekly...