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...
Australian equities notched a record high as Asia-Pacific markets tracked Wall Street gains on the back of strong U.S. economic data reports and a slew of better-than-expected corporate earnings. Australia stock markets climb to record high Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.58% to a record high of 8,689.4 during early trading hours. Year-to-date, the benchmark index as risen 6.62%, data from LSEG showed. Index heavyweights like mining giant BHP and Rio Tinto are up 1.7% and 1.32% respectively. Biotech firm CSL is up over 1.7%. Asia markets open Friday trading in the green Asia...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.3% to 40,034, while the broader Topix Index also climbed 0.3% to 2,847 during Friday morning trading, marking the second straight session of gains. The advance followed a rally on Wall Street on Thursday, supported by upbeat corporate earnings and strong US economic data. The Nikkei reached its highest level in over two weeks, as recent trade agreements between the US and both Vietnam and Indonesia continued to boost investor sentiment. Traders largely shrugged off a statement from US President Donald Trump, who reiterated his intention to impose a 25% tariff on...
US stocks advanced on Thursday, supported by upbeat earnings and solid economic data as markets brushed aside lingering concerns over President Trump's criticism of the Fed and renewed tariff threats. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively both notching new record highs while the Dow Jones gained over 200 points, or 0.5%. Retail sales rebounded by 0.6% in June, beating expectations, and weekly jobless claims dropped to 221,000, the lowest level in three months, highlighting consumer resilience. United Airlines and PepsiCo led earnings-driven gains, with shares...
S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures edged up 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively, on Thursday morning (July 17), while the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained flat. What caused this? Investors were digesting a series of new economic data from the US, which suggested the economy remains quite strong. This increase reflects market caution in responding to mixed sentiment, from economic strength to major corporate earnings reports. Released data showed that US retail sales rose 0.6% in June, well above market expectations of 0.1%. Meanwhile, jobless claims fell to 221,000, indicating a still-solid...
The Hang Seng Index weakened 19 points, or nearly 0.1%, to close at 24,499 on Thursday (July 17th), declining for the second consecutive session due to continued profit-taking after the benchmark index hit a four-month high earlier in the week. Slight declines in US index futures ahead of key retail sales data later in the day also weighed on sentiment. Meanwhile, concerns over escalating US tariffs persisted after President Trump announced plans to send letters to more than 150 countries, outlining potential tariffs of between 10% and 15%. He described most of the letter recipients as "not...