The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% and the Nasdaq 0.3% on Wednesday (July 30), while the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered near the flatline, as investors awaited the Fed's policy decision and assessed key economic data. The Fed is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged, with the market closely monitoring its outlook for the remainder of the year, especially after preliminary data showed US GDP grew stronger than expected by 3% in Q2, reinforcing signs of a resilient economy. Furthermore, ADP data showed the US private sector added 104,000 jobs in July, significantly higher...
European equity markets are set to open little changed on Friday after hitting record highs in the previous session, supported by strong earnings and a favorable policy environment. On Thursday, the European Central Bank cut its main deposit rate by 25 basis points, as expected, and signaled that further cuts could follow. Recent data showed that the euro zone economy unexpectedly stalled in the last quarter, led by contractions in Germany and France. On the corporate side, Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter sales, which rose 16% to $13.2...
Japanese stocks rose after the close on Friday (1/31), as gains in the Rubber, Transportation and Glass sectors boosted shares. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.34%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were NEC Corp. (TYO:6701), which rose 18.38% or 2,410.00 points to trade at 15,525.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (TYO:9531) gained 7.04% or 289.00 points to close at 4,392.00 and JTEKT Corp. (TYO:6473) gained 6.39% or 73.50 points to 1,224.00 at the close. The worst performers on the session were Hino Motors, Ltd. (TYO:7205), which plunged 12.24% or 71.10...
The Nikkei 225 Index edged up 0.15% to around 39,570, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.3% to 2,790 on Friday, marking a third consecutive day of gains for Japanese shares as investors responded positively to strong economic data. Retail sales in Japan exceeded expectations in December, and industrial production returned to growth. The country's unemployment rate also dropped to 2.4% in January, down from 2.5% in the previous two months, defying forecasts of no change. Local stocks also drew support from a positive lead on Wall Street, where solid earnings from major US tech companies...
Stocks wavered on Thursday after President Donald Trump reiterated his tariff threats. The Dow Jones Industrial Average popped 168 points, or 0.4%. At its session highs, it had added nearly 300 points. The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.3%. Stocks cut gains late in the session after President Donald Trump announced his intention to implement 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico.Elsewhere, Wall Street digested recent quarterly results from a slew of megacap tech companies. Shares of Meta Platforms and Tesla respectively added 1% and 3%, while...
Europe's benchmark index closed at a record high on Thursday, led by real estate stocks, as investors priced in more monetary policy easing by the European Central Bank this year and assessed a mixed bag of corporate results.The ECB lowered borrowing costs by an expected 25 basis points to 2.75% and kept the door open to further policy easing as concerns over lacklustre economic growth superseded worries about persistent inflation.The decision came on the heels of data showing the euro zone economy unexpectedly stagnated last quarter. Traders now expect about 70 bps worth of rate cuts by...