The S&P 500 closed mostly flat on Friday, the Dow Jones extended its record run, rising 240 points finisheing at 46,758 after briefly surpassing 47,000 during the session, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.3% as the US government shutdown entered its third day. Pressure came from major technology names, with Palantir Technologies leading the S&P 500 lower, dropping 7.5%, while Tesla and Nvidia fell 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Applied Materials declined 2.7% after warning of a $600 million revenue hit tied to semiconductor export restrictions. Investors focused on the shutdown, which...
European stocks opened higher on Wednesday amid optimism that U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico could be eased, with investors also eyeing potential reforms to Germany's controversial debt brake system. The Stoxx 600 index rose 1.05% shortly after the open, following a broad decline in global equities on Tuesday on tariff concerns. The Stoxx autos index, which had fallen nearly 6% in the previous session, rebounded 2.4%. Utilities and food and beverages were among the sectors in the red. On Tuesday, the conservative alliance and the Social Democrats — the two...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Shipbuilding, Textile and Marine Transport sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.16%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Fujikura Ltd. (TYO:5803), which rose 7.42% or 431.00 points to trade at 6,239.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Yokogawa Electric Corp. (TYO:6841) added 6.69% or 188.50 points to end at 3,005.00 and IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) was up 6.09% or 640.00 points to 11,145.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Konami Corp. (TYO:9766), which...
Hong Kong's equities surged 268 points or 1.2% to 23,205 in early trading on Wednesday, rebounding from a modest decline in the prior session. Investors reacted positively to a copy of China's work report, which set a 2025 GDP growth target of around 5% and outlined stimulus measures to support the economy, amid rising trade tensions with the US. On the inflation front, the document showed Beijing lowered the annual inflation target to around 2% for the first time in over two decades. Traders also welcomed private survey data indicating an unexpected rebound in services activity from...
The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes struggled to find clear direction on Wednesday as the intensifying trade war between the US and its major trading partners weighed on financial markets. President Trump's 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10% duty on Chinese imports, took effect on Tuesday, sparking retaliatory actions from those countries. However, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that a potential compromise between the US, Canada, and Mexico on tariffs might be possible. In Japan, data revealed that services sector growth reached a six-month high in...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Wednesday amid worries over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and escalating global trade tensions. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.73%. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.25% while the Topix rose 0.28%. South Korea's Kospi climbed 1.09% while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 1.26%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were at 23,014, higher than the HSI's last close of 22,941.77. Investors will be looking out for announcements coming out of China's "Two Sessions," an annual parliamentary gathering which began on Tuesday, where Beijing is poised...