Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday, as investors keep a close watch on the People's Bank of China's decision on its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates for July, as well as the latest developments on the trade front. Trade came into focus once again over the weekend as the White House reiterated its position on tariffs. On Sunday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Aug. 1 the "hard deadline" for countries to start paying tariffs, though he also added that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1." South Korean markets started the day higher Monday. As of...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.14% to close at 38,790 while the broader Topix index rose 0.73% to 2,781 on Tuesday, with Japanese stocks ending a three-day losing streak after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Investors largely shrugged off Iran's retaliatory attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar, which caused no casualties, and took comfort in the fact that Iran avoided targeting the critical Strait of Hormuz, easing fears of a wider disruption to global oil supplies. On the trade front, Japanese negotiator Ryosei Akazawa reportedly planned...
Hong Kong stocks jumped 400 points, or 1.7%, to 24,091 in early trading on Tuesday, rising for a third straight session and hitting a one-week high. Sentiment was boosted by a rally in U.S. futures and easing geopolitical tensions after President Trump announced a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Iran, starting around midnight Monday, Washington time. The market also welcomed comments from Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, who hinted at the possibility of an interest rate cut as early as July. In China, the top legislature, known as the NPC Standing Committee, will meet this week to...
Asia-Pacific markets rose on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. "It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total Ceasefire… for 12 hours, at which point the War will be deemed OVER!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. However, neither Iran nor Israel has publicly confirmed that they have accepted Trump's ceasefire timetable. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.59%, while the broader Topix index gained 1.32%. South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.09% and the small-cap Kosdaq index gained...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.3% to above 38,800 while the broader Topix index rose 1.2% to 2,794 on Tuesday, ending a three-day losing streak after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, calling the conflict the "12-Day War." Investors also appeared to shrug off Tehran's retaliatory attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar that caused no casualties. Also, Iran avoided targeting the critical Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns about a wider disruption to global oil supplies. At home, investors continued to assess the Bank of Japan's monetary policy...
The European stock markets closed lower in Monday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 lost 0.19%, Germany's DAX was down 0.33%, the FTSE 100 was off 0.14%, France's CAC 40 slid 0.67%, and the Swiss Market Index declined 0.10%. The seasonally-adjusted HCOB Flash Composite PMI Output Index, which gauges the health of European manufacturing remained unchanged at 50.2 in June from May and registered above the 50 threshold indicating expansion for a sixth straight month. However, the expansion of business activity continues to be marginal. In the UK, the S&P Global UK Consumer Sentiment Index...