Japanese stocks surged nearly 3% in early trading Monday after pro-stimulus politician Sanae Takaichi won the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election. This victory paves the way for Takaichi to become Japan's first female prime minister and fueled market optimism over the potential for increased fiscal spending and economic stimulus. The yen weakened 1.2% against the dollar, approaching the 150 level—a key psychological point for the foreign exchange market. Meanwhile, Japanese bond yields are expected to rise due to expectations of increased debt issuance under Takaichi's leadership....
European stocks erased early losses and closed higher on Thursday (4/24) for a third straight day of gains, benefiting from a positive session on Wall Street as investors continued to assess the outlook for European companies amid potential U.S. trade restrictions. The eurozone STOXX 5o gained 0.3% to close at 5,115 and the pan-European STOXX gained 0.5% to close at 519. Rhetoric from White House officials continued to suggest that President Trump was more open to reaching a trade deal with China and avoiding a full-blown trade war with China, adding to the appeal of riskier assets around...
US stocks hovered close to the flatline on Thursday after a volatile week, as markets continued to assess the outlook for US trade flows and how it may impact corporate returns. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 slightly higher, while the Dow was 150 points lower. Equities were supported this week by President Trump's remarks that tariffs against China would not remain at the 145% level in the longer term. Still, Treasury Secretary Bessent noted that talks with China have not yet started, and Beijing claimed it will not dialogue before tariffs by the US are lowered, raising skepticism on a...
The Hang Seng dropped 163 points or 0.7% to close at 21,910 on Thursday, snapping a three-day winning streak. The pullback came as Washington signaled openness to easing tariffs on China but ruled out taking unilateral action. Meanwhile, U.S. futures plunged after Wall Street logged a second consecutive day of gains Wednesday, with investors cautiously awaiting earnings from Alphabet, Intel, and PepsiCo later today. Losses in Hong Kong were limited by reports that China began issuing special sovereign bonds to cushion the economy from rising trade tensions, aiming to raise CNY 286 billion...
European stocks opened lower in early trading on Thursday as a relief rally stalls. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was down by 0.5% at 8:30 am London time. Meanwhile, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were also lower by 0.7%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is trading flat. Investors are digesting earnings releases from Unilever, Banco Sabadell, Sanofi, Eni, BNP Paribasand Dassault Systemes Regional markets had followed their global counterparts higher on Wednesday as concerns about a trade war between the U.S. and China receded. U.S. stocks also surged on Wednesday after President Donald Trump...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.49% to close at 35,039 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.32% to 2,593 on Thursday, with Japanese shares rising for the second straight session and tracking Wall Street higher. The rally followed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who signaled a softer stance on Chinese tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that the U.S. and China have a chance to reach a "big deal" on trade. Meanwhile, the U.S. reportedly informed Japan's trade delegation that Tokyo would not receive special treatment under Washington's current tariff regime, despite Japan's...