European shares were flat on Wednesday, with gains in heavyweight healthcare stocks offsetting the decline in the broader market, as investors fretted over a potential delay in the closely-watched U.S. jobs data. The pan-European STOXX 600 held steady at 557.9 points by 0711 GMT, after posting its third successive monthly gain in September. Local bourses were mixed. Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, while the UK's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2% to an all-time high. Healthcare stocks jumped 2.7% after Pfizer and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said they had cut a deal in which the drugmaker...
The Hang Seng Index surged 262 points, or 1%, to close at 26,200 on Wednesday, rallying for a fourth straight session to a four-year high, driven by gains across all sectors. The index followed Wall Street's advance amid growing bets that recent US labor market weakness will prompt the Fed to cut interest rates by at least 25 basis points next week, with upcoming inflation data set to provide the final clue. In China, the sharpest CPI decline in six months in August rekindled hopes for fresh government support, potentially boosting the trade-in value of consumer goods, while producer...
European stocks have opened higher as a bit of political calm enters the market. The Stoxx 600 Index was up 0.6% in its third session of straight gains. Retailers led the rally as Inditex shares jumped after the Zara-owner said it has seen a strong start to the third quarter. Technology shares were also notable outperformers, with the sector getting a boost from a bullish outlook from US peer Oracle. Chipmaker TSMC also reported a 34% in August sales, adding to optimism that AI is set to be a big growth area for the industry. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 index climbed 0.6% as President...
Japanese shares rose on Wednesday, tracking Wall Street gains, as traders bet U.S. labor market weakness would prompt a Federal Reserve rate cut next week. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.87%, or 378.38 points, to end at 43,837.67. Traders see a Fed rate cut next Wednesday as certain, with 7% odds on a half-point move, CME's FedWatch Tool showed. A week ago, markets still saw a chance of no cut, but weak payrolls shifted expectations. Producer and consumer inflation data this week are the final tests. In economic data, Japanese manufacturers' sentiment hit a three-year high in September, lifted by...
The Hang Seng Index opened higher today, gaining 104 points to reach 26,042, before extending its rise by 227 points, or 0.87%, to settle at 26,165. This marks the index's fourth consecutive day of increases. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index also rose by 80 points, or 0.87%, to 9,323, while the Technology Index climbed by 105 points, or 1.8%, to 5,933. Trading volume on the main board reached HK$73.7 billion. In the technology sector, stocks showed mixed results. Tencent rose by 1.5%, Alibaba experienced a significant gain of 3.5%, and Meituan increased by 2.1%. However, Xiaomi Group...
Japanese shares rose on expectations of expansionary fiscal policies even as the country's ruling party is set to hold a leadership contest and find a replacement for outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Sentiment was also upbeat after Wall Street's gains on hopes the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to curb a jobs downturn. The Topix Index rose 0.1% to 3,126.18 as of 9:15 a.m. Tokyo time The Nikkei advanced 0.4% to 43,646.92 SoftBank Group Corp. contributed the most to the Topix Index gain, increasing 6.8%. Out of 1,676 stocks in the index,...