Japanese stocks edged lower on Monday, with the Nikkei 225 down 0.1% to 50,324 and the broader Topix index down 0.37%. The main pressure came from tourism and retail stocks after geopolitical tensions with China escalated. Beijing warned Japan not to interfere in the Taiwan issue and also urged its citizens to exercise caution when traveling to Japan. A Japanese diplomat is reportedly planning a visit to China to try to calm the situation, but the market remains nervous. Travel-related stocks were the first to suffer from this sentiment. Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings fell 3.8% and 3.1%,...
European markets were mixed on Monday as a shortened trading week begins ahead of Christmas. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index hovered above the flatline during early morning deals, with most sectors and all major bourses in negative territory. Trading is expected to be relatively quiet ahead of Christmas, with European markets set to be closed, or close early, for Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets started the week on a positive note, with investors digesting a press conference related to the merger of Japanese automakers Honda and...
The Hang Seng Index rose 0.8% at 19,883.13 in Hong Kong. The index advanced to the highest closing level since Dec. 13 after the previous session's decrease of 0.2%. China Construction Bank Corp. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 2.9%. Orient Overseas International Ltd. had the largest increase, rising 6.2%. Today, 63 of 83 shares rose, while 19 fell; all sectors were higher, led by finance stocks. Source : Bloomberg
European markets opened lower on Monday as a holiday-shortened trading week kicks off ahead of Christmas. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is expected to open 8 points higher at 8,098, Germany's DAX is up 12 points at 19,919, France's CAC is up 7 points at 7,291 and Italy's FTSE MIB is up 76 points at 34,031, according to data from IG. Trading is expected to be relatively quiet ahead of Christmas, with European markets set to be closed, or close early, for Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets started the week on a positive note, with investors awaiting the...
Japanese stocks rose to end six days of declines as automakers and semiconductor-related names gained on a weaker yen. Banks also pushed the market higher as traders weighed the prospect of higher interest rates. The Topix index was up 0.9% at 2,726.74 by the close. The Nikkei gained 1.2% to 39,161.34. Toyota Motor contributed the most to the Topix's gains, rising 2.4%, while peer Honda Motor also advanced. Honda and Nissan Motor are looking to complete a merger agreement as early as June after negotiations began on Monday, and could merge by 2026, Japanese media reported, citing unnamed...
Shares in Hong Kong rose by 62 points or 0.3% to 19,783 during the Monday morning session, breaking a two-session losing streak amid strength mainly from the financials and property sectors. A solid rise in US futures uplifted sentiment after Washington avoided a year-end shutdown on Saturday and kicked off future spending decisions into Donald Trump's presidency. Locally, the city's annual inflation remained at 1.4% in November, unchanged for the second consecutive month and at its lowest level since May. The government indicated that overall inflation is expected to remain mild in the...