Hong Kong stocks fell for the second session, down 46 points or 0.2% to 25,469 on Wednesday morning, after U.S.-China trade talks ended without a meaningful breakthrough. While extending the current tariff truce remains possible, Treasury Secretary Bessent said President Trump will have the final say. Caution also prevailed ahead of the Fed's rate decision later today, with analysts noting most Fed officials prefer to wait and assess the inflationary impact of tariffs before acting, especially with Trump's August 1 tariff deadline looming. Tech shares led the fall, followed by consumers...
The Hang Seng fell 112 points, or 0.6%, to close at 19,753 on Thursday after an upbeat session the previous day, dragged down by broad-based declines across sectors. Investors held off on entering fresh positions after the U.S. Fed cut borrowing costs for the third time this year but warned it would slow the pace of interest rate cuts next year. Meanwhile, cautious traders awaited China's key monthly lending rate decision on Friday after it hit a record low in November. The market pared early losses, however, on a report that battery maker CATL is considering a second listing in Hong Kong...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Communications, Steel and Transportation Equipment sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.80%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201), which rose 6.51% or 27.20 points to trade at 444.80 at the close. Meanwhile, IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) gained 4.93% or 404.00 points to close at 8,604.00 and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012) gained 3.24% or 206.00 points to 6,570.00 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755),...
Hong Kong stocks plunged 212 points, or 1.0%, to 19,653 in morning trade on Thursday after a big gain the previous day, pressured by a sharp drop on Wall Street overnight after the U.S. Fed cut interest rates for the third time this year, as expected, but halved the number of rate cuts anticipated for next year to two. The market was near a two-week low, with all sectors dragging down the Hang Seng Index. China Vanke Co. Its shares plunged 4.5% after Bloomberg News reported that Chinese regulators have asked the country's largest insurers to disclose their financial exposure to the troubled...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1% to below 38,700, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.5% to 2,706 on Thursday, hitting a three-week low. The declines mirrored a sharp selloff on Wall Street after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled fewer interest rate cuts in 2025 than previously expected. The Fed now expects just two rate cuts next year, down from the four projected in its September outlook. Investors also remained cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision later in the day. The central bank is likely to hold off on raising interest rates as policymakers assess the latest...
Asia-Pacific markets fell on Thursday morning (19/12), tracking broad declines on Wall Street as the U.S. Federal Reserve cut its benchmark lending rate for a third straight meeting while signaling fewer rate cuts ahead. Investors in Asia are looking ahead to the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision after a two-day policy meeting. The central bank is widely expected to keep its target interest rate unchanged at 0.25%. The Japanese yen was slightly higher on Thursday morning at 154.57 against the U.S. dollar. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.4% while the Topix fell 1.27%. In South...