European stocks rose, following U.S. stocks that closed at record highs, as easing concerns about price pressures fueled speculation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.5% as of 8:24 a.m. in London, trading at its highest level in nearly two weeks. Technology and construction stocks led the gains, while energy stocks led the declines. In individual stocks, Vestas Wind Systems A/S fell as the Danish wind turbine company's quarterly failure to achieve profitability raised questions about its margin targets for the year. Nordic Semiconductor...
The Hang Seng Index plunged 404 points, or 1.6%, to close at 24,773 on Thursday (July 31), marking its third consecutive decline and its lowest close in two weeks. Sentiment worsened after China's official PMI showed services activity grew at its slowest pace in eight months and factory output fell the most in six months, amid rising trade barriers and extreme weather. Meanwhile, US President Trump's "reciprocal" tariff suspension is set to expire on Friday, with only eight trade deals reached in the past 120 days. On the monetary front, Fed Chairman Powell dismissed expectations of a...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 rose 0.3% on Thursday (July 31st), as corporate earnings remained in focus. Shell shares rose 2.9% after reporting a profit decline that still beat expectations, while Unilever rose 0.2% on stronger-than-expected sales. Upbeat earnings from Microsoft and MetaTrader also supported sentiment, lifting SAP (+1.8%) and ASML Holding (+1.4%). Meanwhile, Sanofi shares fell 2.2% after its earnings missed, and AB InBev shares plunged nearly 10% after the world's largest brewer reported declining volumes, particularly in Brazil and China. Credit Agricole fell 1.7% as...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.02% to close at 41,070, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.81% to 2,944 on Thursday, recovering losses from earlier in the week after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged in a unanimous decision, as widely expected. This marks the fourth consecutive meeting the BOJ has paused following its 25 basis-point hike to 0.5% in January. Japanese stocks also took cues from stronger US futures, supported by upbeat earnings from tech giants Meta Platforms and Microsoft. Meanwhile, investors continued to watch trade developments after the US finalized a...
(Hong Kong) On the final trading day of July, the Hang Seng Index opened 194 points, or 0.77%, lower at 24,982. The China Enterprises Index fell by 61 points, or 0.68%, to 8,976, while the Technology Index declined 31 points, or 0.58%, to 5,458. WuXi AppTec saw its share price drop 4% after a discounted share placement. Technology stocks broadly weakened, with Meituan leading the decline, falling 3.06%. Alibaba slipped 0.95%, Xiaomi Group dropped 0.82%, Trip.com Group eased 0.57%, and Tencent edged down 0.36%. Financial stocks also displayed weakness. HSBC Holdings extended its losses by...
Japanese stocks rose boosted by exporters and tech-related sectors as investors awaited the Bank of Japan's policy decision for hints about the central bank's rate path. The Topix Index rose 0.3% to 2,928.42 as of 9:27 a.m. Tokyo time The Nikkei advanced 0.4% to 40,799.27 Hitachi Ltd. contributed the most to the Topix Index gain, increasing 1%. Out of 1,682 stocks in the index, 1,207 rose and 398 fell, while 77 were unchanged. The yen weakened as much as 0.7% overnight versus the dollar which helped lift some export-related shares on Thursday. The...