Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Friday, tracking Wall Street gains as investors shrugged off the U.S. government shutdown. Investors are waiting to see how long the shutdown will last to assess the gravity of its economic repercussions. Historically, government shutdowns in the U.S. have not been market-moving events. Japan's September unemployment rate rose to 2.6%, government data showed Friday, higher than the 2.4% expected by economists polled by Reuters. The latest reading compared with the 2.3% unemployment rate in August. The country's September manufacturing purchasing...
European stocks traded sharply lower on Tuesday, with the Stoxx 50 down by around 1%. French stocks tumbled as political turmoil deepened after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called a Sept. 8 confidence vote that could topple the government. The CAC 40 fell 1.9%, dragging down European benchmarks, while the FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% on reopening after a holiday. Opposition parties, including the far-right National Rally, France Unbowed, and the Greens, vowed to vote against Bayrou, leaving the government vulnerable. Broader European markets remain under pressure from sluggish growth and...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.97% to close at 42,394, while the broader Topix Index fell 1.08% to 3,072 on Tuesday, snapping a two-day advance and mirroring overnight weakness on Wall Street as investors locked in profits after last week's rally. Market sentiment was also dented by renewed trade tensions after US President Donald Trump reportedly threatened to impose "200% tariffs or something" on China if it failed to export rare-earth magnets to the US. Adding to uncertainty, Trump announced the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, raising fresh...
Hong Kong stocks fell 98 points, or 0.4% to 25,734 in Tuesday morning's session, snapping a two-day rally after Wall Street closed lower as traders weighed U.S. President Trump's tariff threats. Trump reportedly warned of "200% tariffs or something" on China if it limits rare-earth magnet exports, and vowed retaliation against countries targeting U.S. Big Tech, calling such moves "discriminatory." The Hang Seng pulled back from its highest in almost four years as caution grew ahead of China's January–July industrial profit data, with sentiment weighed by trade frictions, weak demand, and...
Nikkei Drops 0.6%, Dragged by Electronics, Pharma Stocks Japanese stocks are lower as uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and their impact on earnings continues. Electronics and pharmaceutical stocks are leading declines. Renesas Electronics is down 2.0% and Daiichi Sankyo is 1.9% lower. USD/JPY is at 147.27, compared with 147.17 as of Monday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are focusing on any developments related to the war in Ukraine and domestic politics. The Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.6% at 42536.55. Source: Bloomberg
Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Tuesday, tracking losses on Wall Street, as investors weighed U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on China. Investors also assessed the meeting between South Korean and U.S. presidents over fleshing out the trade deal framework announced last month that stipulated 15% tariffs on the Asian country's exports to the U.S. The Kospi index fell 0.56%, while the small-cap Kosdaq was up 0.36%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 as well as the broader Topix index fell 0.54%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 benchmark was marginally lower in early trade. Futures for Hong...