The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.0% to 44,990.71 in early trading, following a record-breaking rally on Wall Street overnight. The market appeared calm despite ongoing concerns about the US government shutdown. The gains were led by pharmaceutical and chip stocks. Chugai Pharmaceutical rose 3.2%, while Lasertec gained 4.4%, amid positive sentiment in the healthcare and technology sectors. On the currency market, USD/JPY was at 147.24, virtually unchanged from 147.34 at the close in Tokyo on Wednesday. The stable rupiah/yen helped maintain interest in export-oriented stocks. Looking ahead,...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday with focus on the Reserve Bank of Australia's interest rate decision later in the day. The RBA is expected to hold its cash rate steady at 3.6%, according to a Reuters poll, as high inflation has restricted its ability to loosen monetary policy. "The Reserve Bank of Australia's policy meeting on Tuesday is the key event in the Asia-Pacific region," said Shier Lee Lim, lead FX and macro strategist of APAC in Convera. "Any shift in tone or forward guidance could move AUD crosses, especially after recent volatility in building approvals, with August...
US stocks closed higher on Monday as investors tried to stabilize the market following last week's losses driven by cracks in AI-related trading and concerns over new tariffs. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.4%, and the Dow Jones added 69 points, supported by gains in tech and AI-focused companies such as Nvidia (+2.1%), AMD (+1.2%), and Micron Technology (+4.2%). Video game company Electronic Arts jumped 4.5% after announcing a $55 billion take-private deal, reflecting broader M&A momentum that has topped $1 trillion this year. Market participants are closely...
European stock markets edged higher on Monday, as investors looked ahead to a trading week due to feature key economic data and a potential U.S. government shutdown. The pan-European Stoxx 600 had climbed by 0.3%, while the Dax in Germany gained 0.2%, the CAC 40 in France rose 0.1%, and the FTSE 100 in the U.K. increased around 0.2%. Shares of Britain's GSK rallied over 2%, boosting the wider health care sector, on news that the drugmaker's CEO Emma Walmsley will step down. Walmsley is due to be replaced by Luke Miels in January. AstraZeneca's stock price also ticked up after the U.K....
Stocks rose on Monday as Wall Street tried to regain its footing after a week in which the artificial intelligence trade lost some steam. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 70 points higher, or 0.2%. The S&P 500 climbed 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6%. AI-related stock Nvidia rose after skepticism around the AI trade put pressure on the broader stock market last week. Some traders even questioned whether there was enough energy to power an infrastructure plan between Nvidia and OpenAI. Nvidia was last up more than 2%. Meanwhile, shares of Electronic Arts jumped more...
The Hang Seng Index surged 495 points, or 1.9%, to close at 26,322 on Monday (September 29th), recovering from two sessions of decline as all sectors contributed to the rally. Optimism increased after China's central bank on Friday promised stronger coordination between monetary and fiscal policies to support growth, while Goldman Sachs projected interest rate and RRR cuts for banks in the fourth quarter of 2025. Sentiment was also lifted by signs that Beijing's crackdown on price wars is working, with authorities urging Chinese companies in the US to avoid aggressive discounting....