The Hang Seng Index fell 347 points, or 1.4%, to close at 25,177 on Wednesday (July 30th), extending losses from the previous session amid widespread declines. Technology stocks slumped 2.7%, while consumer discretionary and financial stocks each fell about 1.5%, after US-China trade talks ended without substantial progress, leaving President Trump with the final decision on tariffs. Caution is also growing ahead of today's Fed interest rate decision, with analysts saying most officials prefer to assess the inflationary impact of tariffs, especially with Trump's August 1st deadline...
European stock markets closed sharply lower on Friday, with investors still reeling from the scale of U.S. tariffs announced this week. The regional Stoxx 600 index closed down 5%, marking its worst weekly loss of the year, down 8.3% from the previous week. Banks fell 8.5% after a 5.53% drop on Thursday. The sector, once seen as vulnerable to slowing growth or recession, is now seen as a much stronger possibility for both the U.S. and global economies. Banks are also "one of the slowest assets to come forward in assessing global macro issues," Bank of America strategists said Friday....
The S&P 500 dropped 2.7%, the Dow tumbled 970 points, and the Nasdaq sank 3.1% on Friday, hitting their lowest levels since last August and extending the previous session's sell-off. The trade war escalated further as China's finance minister announced a 34% tariff on all US imports, mirroring the levy imposed by President Trump on Wednesday. Investor anxiety is mounting over the economic fallout, with many economists warning of higher prices, slower growth, and a potential recession. On the data front, payrolls rose way more than expected, continuing to point to a healthy labour...
Major bourses in Europe extended their losses on Friday, with the STOXX 50 dropping 0.9% and the STOXX 600 falling 1%, reaching their lowest levels since mid-January. This extended the sharp sell-off from the previous session, when the benchmarks tumbled 3.7% and 2.7%, respectively. Investor sentiment remains cautious following the Trump administration's tariff announcement. In response, the EC has stated it is preparing countermeasures, French President Macron urged French companies to halt planned investments in the US and Germany's outgoing economy minister predicted that Trump would...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 2.80% to hit a new 6-months low. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Nitori Holdings Co Ltd (TYO:9843), which rose 5.30% or 780.00 points to trade at 15,510.00 at the close. Meanwhile, KDDI Corp. (TYO:9433) added 4.70% or 107.00 points to end at 2,382.50 and Secom Co., Ltd. (TYO:9735) was up 4.33% or 215.00 points to 5,178.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were...
The Nikkei 225 fell 2% to around 34,000, while the broader Topix Index dropped 2.3% to 2,510 on Friday, extending losses from the previous session and hitting their lowest levels in about eight months. Japanese shares also tracked a sharp selloff on Wall Street overnight which wiped out $4 trillion in market value as US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs stoked fears of an all-out trade war and a global recession. The tariffs—including a 24% levy on Japanese imports and a 25% tariff on car shipments—have dealt a significant blow to Japan's export-heavy economy, particularly its...