The Hang Seng Index opened higher today, gaining 70 points or 0.27%, to reach 25,458. Meanwhile, the China Enterprises Index rose by 22 points or 0.24%, closing at 9,173, and the Hang Seng Tech Index increased by 21 points or 0.37%, settling at 5,699. Technology stocks displayed mixed movements. Tencent remained unchanged, Alibaba rose by 1.2%, Meituan edged up 0.4%, Xiaomi Group dipped slightly by 0.1%, and Kuaishou gained 0.6%. Financial stocks showed general stability. HSBC Holdings recorded no change, AIA Group rose by 0.5%, Ping An Insurance increased by 0.4%, and the Hong Kong...
US stocks rose on Friday, boosted by a strong jobs report and signs of easing U.S.-China trade tensions that boosted investor confidence. The S&P 500 rose nearly 1.5%, marking its ninth straight gain and its longest winning streak in two decades. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 563 points, also extending its rally to a ninth straight session, while the Nasdaq gained 1.5%. April nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000, beating expectations and bolstering optimism about the labor market despite ongoing tariff uncertainty. Sentiment was further buoyed by Beijing's openness to fresh trade...
European stocks rose on Friday, boosted by stronger-than-expected U.S. payrolls data for April and signs that China may resume trade talks with the U.S. The Stoxx 50 jumped 1.9% and the Stoxx 600 gained 1.7%, led by a 3% rally in technology stocks. London's FTSE 100 rose more than 1%, marking its longest daily winning streak on record. Shell rose 1.9% after beating Q1 profit expectations and launching a $3.5 billion share buyback. Standard Chartered also beat estimates, boosted by gains in wealth management and global banking, while NatWest reported better-than-expected profit of £1.8...
US stocks were firmly higher on Friday after evidence of a strong labor market softened concerns of a recession this year. The S&P 500, the Dow, and the Nasdaq 100 were all above 1% higher, with the former two set to record a nine-session win streak. The US added 177 thousand jobs in April, more than expectations of 130 thousand, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged and wages grew loosely in line with expectations. The stronger momentum was also owed to China noting that it will consider starting talks with the White House on potential trade deals. Gains were broad-based...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.98% to hit a new 1-month high. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:9064), which rose 5.32% or 105.00 points to trade at 2,077.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd (TYO:4506) added 5.26% or 47.00 points to end at 941.00 and Otsuka Holdings Ltd (TYO:4578) was up 5.22% or 382.00 points to 7,697.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the...
European stocks are heading for a mixed open on Friday, as investors assess a signal that China is seeking trade negotiations will the U.S. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were seen opening lower, according to IG data, with U.K. stocks moving higher. Most markets were closed on Thursday for the May 1 holiday. London's FTSE 100 ended a choppy session 0.02% higher to mark its 14th straight session in the green, drawing level with its best run since 2017. Earnings in Europe on Friday include bank Standard Chartered, which beat estimates with a 10% gain in first-quarter profit, Natwest and...