The Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to below 40,700, while the broader Topix Index declined 0.8% to 2,908 on Tuesday, marking a third straight session of losses for Japanese equities. The initial optimism from recent trade agreements began to wane, and investors turned their focus to the ongoing US-China trade talks in Stockholm. Attention also shifted to a busy week of domestic corporate earnings, with major firms such as Advantest, Keyence, Tokyo Electron, Nintendo, ANA Holdings, and Japan Airlines scheduled to report. Technology stocks led the retreat, with notable losses from Disco (-1.4%),...
European markets edged higher at the open on Tuesday, as geopolitical tensions in the region boosted defense stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up around 0.18% shortly after the opening bell, with major bourses in mixed territory. Defense stocks, which hit a record high during Monday's session, continued their rally, with Renk Group gaining around 7% and German arms manufacturer up 3% in early deals. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Europe are likely to remain in focus for European markets this week as U.S. officials prepare for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine,...
Hong Kong's stock market ended higher on Tuesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.59 percent to close at 22,976.81 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index jumped 1.82 percent to end at 8,475.40 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 2.54 percent to close at 5,639.05 points. Source: CTX news
European futures hit record peaks on Tuesday as defence stocks soared on expectations of a spending bump, while Hong Kong shares were on the verge of three-year highs as investors cheered business leaders' meeting with President Xi Jinping. Australia's central bank began its rate cut cycle, as expected, and the Australian dollar found support at $0.6350 as a cut came with caution on further easing. S&P 500 futures were up 0.2% and European futures were up 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5% with bank and defence-related shares taking cues from Europe's rally. On Monday, the pan-European...
Hang Seng Index opened higher by 48 points at 22,664 before extending its rally, climbing as much as 418 points to reach an intraday high of 23,034. By late morning, the index was up 406 points, or 1.79%, at 23,022, with turnover on the main board totalling HK$1.168 billion. At 10.50am local time, the index was trading at 22,951.64, up 335.41 points or 1.48%. Technology stocks led the charge, with Tencent rising 2.3%, Alibaba surging 4.6%, Meituan gaining 1.6%, Xiaomi climbing 5.9%, JD.com up 1%, and Kuaishou advancing 4.1%. Financial stocks also supported the market's momentum, with HSBC...
Australia's central bank cuts interest rate for the first time in more than four yearsThe Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday cut benchmark interest rates for the first time in over four years, joining ranks with other major global central banks, as softening inflation allows room for easing policy. The RBA cut rates by 25 basis points to 4.10%. This marked the RBA's first easing since November 2020, when the central bank cut its key rate to a record low, as it battled a slowing economy during the pandemic. The central bank had held its policy rate steady at 4.35% since November 2023,...