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%,...
The Hong Kong stock exchange plunged after a long holiday. The Hang Seng opened down 57 points (26,900), was hit by intense selling to 26,520, and closed down 380 points (-1.41%) at 26,577. The China Enterprise Index ended down 1.5% (9,429), while the Technology Index fell 1.94% (6,422). Tech led the decline: Tencent -1%, Alibaba -2.9%, Meituan -2%, Xiaomi -1%, JD.com -2.7%, Kuaishou -2.9%, and Baidu -5%. The financial sector also slumped: HSBC -1.3%, AIA -0.6%, Ping An -1.6%, and HKEX -1.3%. Main board turnover: HK$40.4 billion. Gold's rally to a new record fueled mixed performance among...
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - The Nikkei index moved flat at 47,937.70, as gains in heavy industry and pharmaceutical stocks offset the decline in chip companies. The IHI rose 4.3% and Daiichi Sankyo strengthened 3.5%, while Tokyo Electron fell 1.6% and Advantest weakened 1.2%. The weaker yen also provided support to the market, as it typically benefits exporters. USD/JPY was at 152.25, up sharply from 150.69 at Tuesday's close, thus boosting sentiment for export-related sectors. Investors' focus is now on the details of potential policy steps Sanae Takaichi may take after being elected LDP...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday, breaking ranks from Wall Street losses, after the World Bank raised the region's growth forecast Tuesday. That comes after a summer that saw U.S. tariff-led uncertainty rock the global economy. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was little changed, while the the Topix added 0.62%. Australia's ASX/S&P 200 fell 0.3%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 27,165, higher than its Tuesday close of 26,957.77. Mainland China and South Korean markets are closed for the holidays. The Bank of Thailand and Reserve Bank of New Zealand are set...
US stocks retreated from record highs on Tuesday as investors weighed the ongoing government shutdown against hopes for AI-driven growth. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% for the first time in 8 days, the Nasdaq lost 0.8%, and the Dow fell 99 points, pressured by a steep sell-off in Oracle shares after weaker-than-expected cloud margin reports. Tesla slipped 4.4% after unveiling a low-cost Model Y, Ford tumbled 7.6% over a supplier fire, and gold futures surged past $4,000 per ounce as investors sought safe havens. Economically sensitive sectors, including homebuilding, airlines, and transport,...
European stock markets edged mostly lower on Tuesday, as investors kept tabs on ongoing political turbulence in France and the United States that threatened to dampen enthusiasm around artificial intelligence dealmaking. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped by 0.2% and the Dax in Germany fell by 0.1%. The FTSE 100 in the United Kingdom and the CAC 40 in France were both mostly flat. The CAC 40 fell sharply on Monday on news of a surprise resignation of the country's new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Two days of last-minute discussions between the outgoing Lecornu and members of several...