Britain's FTSE 100 index on Friday briefly surpassed the symbolic 10,000 points marker for the first time, extending gains after a bumper 2025. The FTSE 100 index — home to the U.K.'s most valuable blue-chip companies — ended the first trading day of the year 0.2% higher at 9,951, kicking off the year in positive territory. The index surpassed the 10,000 threshold at around 8:30 a.m. London time, before paring gains. Analysts told CNBC late last year that while the speed of the FTSE 100′s rise to the 10,000-point level was notable, investors should remain wary. The pan-European Stoxx 600...
The Hang Seng rose 149 points, or 0.6%, to close at 26,085, reversing morning losses and marking a second straight session of gains. An uptick in U.S. futures supported sentiment ahead of the U.S. PCE index, a key inflation gauge preferred by the Fed and the FOMC's final meeting for the year next week, where another rate cut is expected. Investors also looked past concerns over China's shadow banking practices, hopeful that Beijing may deliver fresh stimulus to a slowing economy. Most sectors advanced, led by tech, financials, and consumer stocks. Hong Kong markets posted a second...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1.14% to close at 50,446 on Friday (December 5), while the Topix index fell 1.05% to 3,363. This decline erased some of the previous session's gains, as speculation intensified that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could raise interest rates later this month. Reports stated that key members of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government would not oppose a BOJ move in December, although some senior officials remained cautious about the timing. The market has even priced in the possibility of one or two additional rate hikes next year. Negative sentiment also carried over from...
Hong Kong equities eased at the start of trading, with the Hang Seng Index down 102 points, or 0.39%, at 25,833. The China Enterprises Index fell 29 points, or 0.32%, to 9,077, while the Tech Index declined 23 points, or 0.41%, to 5,592. Technology counters were broadly weaker. Tencent retreated 1.1%, Alibaba slipped 0.7%, Meituan lost 0.5%, Xiaomi fell 0.6% and JD.com edged down 0.9%, while Kuaishou was unchanged. Financials were mixed. HSBC dipped 0.2% and AIA fell 0.8%, whereas Ping An gained 0.9%. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing dropped 1%. Source : dimsumdaily.hk
Asia-Pacific stock markets opened lower on Friday, following the sluggish sentiment on Wall Street. In Australia, the ASX/S&P 200 fell 0.17%. In Japan, pressure was stronger: the Nikkei 225 fell 1.36% and the Topix fell 1.12%, as the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds rose to 1.94%, its highest level since July 2007. This increase in yields heightened market concerns about potentially higher borrowing costs. In South Korea, the Kospi moved near the flatline, while the Kosdaq weakened 0.25%. In Hong Kong, Hang Seng futures indicated a slightly lower opening at around 25,900,...
Japanese stock markets weakened, with the Nikkei index falling 1.3% to 50,378.09. This pressure arose from concerns that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could soon raise interest rates, coupled with still-strong US labor market data. This sentiment made investors more cautious and tended to reduce positions in risky assets. Electronics and retail stocks were the most heavily sold. Renesas Electronics fell 4.3%, while Aeon Co. fell 2.4%, reflecting concerns that higher borrowing costs could depress consumption and investment. In the foreign exchange market, USD/JPY traded at 155.16, slightly...