The Nikkei 225 Index shed 0.05% to close at 40,655 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.4% to 2,920 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares struggling for clear direction as investors braced for the latest Bank of Japan monetary policy decision. The central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday amid uncertainty over the economic fallout from recent US tariffs. However, the central bank is likely to raise its inflation forecast in its quarterly outlook, reflecting ongoing price pressures. Investors also weighed prospects of another extension to the tariff truce...
he Nasdaq and the S&P 500 rose to record closing highs on Friday following upbeat forecasts from Lululemon Athletica and other companies and as U.S. jobs data fueled expectations the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates this month. The Dow finished lower, as a drop in UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), shares weighed on the index. The S&P 500 consumer discretionary index (.SPLRCD), led gains among sectors, boosted by Lululemon. Shares of Lululemon Athletica (LULU.O), jumped after the sportswear maker increased full-year forecasts. Also in the consumer discretionary space, shares of...
Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Friday as traders increased bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut this month after the November payrolls report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 58.6 points, or 0.13%, at the open to 44,824.29. The S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab rose 6.3 points, or 0.10%, at the open to 6,081.38, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab rose 43.2 points, or 0.22%, to 19,743.959 at the opening bell. Source: Reuters
The Hang Seng Index jumped 305 points, or 1.6%, to close at 19,866 on Friday (6/12) after a weak session the previous day, supported by strong gains across all sectors. The index rose 2.3% weekly, rising for a second straight period, amid hopes of fresh stimulus from a key policy meeting in China next week that could set economic targets for 2025. Traders eagerly added new positions after Beijing published draft rules on Thursday offering incentives for government agencies to buy Chinese-made products. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley said the PBoC will cut its main policy rate...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.77% to close at 39,091 while the broader Topix index dropped 0.55% to 2,727 on Friday, paring gains from earlier in the week and tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as a major rally in U.S. stocks lost momentum. Investors are also gearing up for the crucial U.S. monthly jobs report. In Japan, data showed that inflation-adjusted real wages were unchanged in October from a year earlier, up from a 0.4% decline in September and 0.8% in August. That supported expectations for a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan this month, although uncertainty...
European equity markets are set for a lower open on Friday, as political turmoil in France dampened market sentiment. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech criticizing politicians for failing to take voters' concerns into account, after a motion backed by both left- and right-leaning lawmakers led to the collapse of Prime Minister Michel Barnier's minority government. Investors also await the third reading of Eurozone GDP for the third quarter, alongside French trade figures and Italian retail sales data for October. Meanwhile, traders are bracing for a crucial U.S. jobs...