The Hang Seng Index fell 93 points, or 0.4%, to close at 25,177 on Monday (August 18th), reversing early gains as property and financial stocks dragged the index down. Sentiment worsened due to rising debt repayment risks in Hong Kong's property sector, with bond maturities expected to surge to nearly 70% next year amid weak sales. US index futures also weakened as President Trump plans to announce tariffs on semiconductor imports in the coming weeks. Caution prevailed ahead of the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium, where Chairman Powell is expected to outline the economic outlook and policy...
The Nikkei 225 Index rallied 1.1% to above 41,600 while the broader Topix Index jumped 1.5% to 2,970 on Thursday, with the latter reaching all-time highs as the recently announced trade deal with the US and Japan continued to support market momentum. Japan now faces a 15% tariff on its exports to the US, lower than the 25% levy that Trump threatened in a letter earlier this month. Global sentiment improved further on reports of progress in US-EU trade talks. On the domestic front, data showed that Japan's private sector growth held steady in July, with continued strength in services...
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher as the latest trade developments between the U.S. and Japan, as well as positive signs for a deal with the European Union, spurred investor optimism. Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 climbed 0.78% to a record close of 6,358.91 — its 12th of the year. Japan's broad-based Topix rose 1.2% to hit a record high in early Asia trading hours, data from LSEG showed. The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.09%, extending gains from Wednesday following the announcement of Japan's trade deal with the U.S. South Korea's Kospi rose 1.17% at the open, and the Kosdaq...
US stocks rallied on Wednesday (July 23), driven by optimism over a new trade agreement and strong corporate momentum. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to a new record high, while the Nasdaq gained 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 505 points, nearly reaching its own record high. The market welcomed news of a finalized trade deal between the US and Japan that includes reciprocal tariffs of 15%, with President Trump signaling similar progress in negotiations with the European Union. Reports suggesting a US-EU deal is nearing completion, mirroring Japan's framework, further boosted...
European stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday (July 23), halting three previous trading sessions' declines, buoyed by speculation that the US might accept lower tariffs following a new trade deal with Japan. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 1.1% to 5,350, and the pan-European STOXX 600 gained 1.1% to 550. President Trump lowered tariffs on Japan to 15% from an initial threat of 25%, despite no reports of substantial progress in trade negotiations between the EU and the US. Progress on auto tariffs with Japan, which has significant exposure to automakers, lifted shares of BMW, Stellantis,...
US stocks were higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.3%, the Nasdaq edging up 0.1%, and the Dow Jones jumping more than 250 points. The gains followed fresh record closes for the S&P 500 in back-to-back sessions. Investor sentiment was buoyed by renewed trade optimism after President Trump announced a deal with Japan that would lower tariffs from 25% to 15%. Japan also committed to investing $550 billion in the US and opening its markets to key American goods. Additionally, a trade agreement with the Philippines was announced, while hopes are growing that a deal with the EU...