US stocks closed higher on Monday as investors tried to stabilize the market following last week's losses driven by cracks in AI-related trading and concerns over new tariffs. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.4%, and the Dow Jones added 69 points, supported by gains in tech and AI-focused companies such as Nvidia (+2.1%), AMD (+1.2%), and Micron Technology (+4.2%). Video game company Electronic Arts jumped 4.5% after announcing a $55 billion take-private deal, reflecting broader M&A momentum that has topped $1 trillion this year. Market participants are closely...
European stocks closed slightly higher on Friday (September 19th) as strength in the heavyweight financial sector offset mixed movements elsewhere, while markets continued to assess key monetary policy decisions for the week. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 0.2% to 5,467, and the pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 555. The Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged as expected but surprised markets by announcing plans to begin unwinding its massive holdings of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Traders also monitored a phone call between U.S. and Chinese Presidents Trump and Xi, with both leaders...
US equities were higher on Friday, extending momentum after the three major benchmarks notched fresh record closes in the previous session. For the week, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones are each up 0.7%, while the Nasdaq has gained 1.5% so far, supported by the Fed's first rate cut of the year and expectations of further easing in 2025. Traders also monitored a call between President Trump and President Xi for potential updates on trade negotiations. Meanwhile, a $5 trillion quarterly triple-witching options expiry takes place today, although volatility is expected to remain limited. Consumer...
The Hang Seng ended flat at 26,545 on Friday, as gains in tech and consumer stocks offset losses in financials and property. The index reversed early gains ahead of talks between China's leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump today. Meanwhile, traders digested news that developer DeepSeek trained its new model with costs well below those reported by U.S. rivals. On the mainland, stocks dropped further after the PBoC signaled no urgency to ease policy despite weak August output. Meantime, U.S. futures were subdued after Thursday's Fed-driven rally amid a shift toward an easing...
The STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered near the flatline on Friday as investors digested a week filled with monetary policy decisions. The Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged as expected but surprised markets by announcing plans to begin unwinding its massive exchange-traded fund holdings. Traders also monitored a call between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi for signals on trade negotiations. On the corporate side, SAP (-0.9%) and ASML Holding (-1%) slipped into the red, while Airbus (+1.7%) and Banco Santander (+0.6%) posted gains. Source: Trading Economics
Japanese shares fell on Friday after the BOJ kept short-term rates at 0.5% but revealed two dissenting votes for a hike and moved to sell its ETF and REIT holdings. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.58%, or 264.26 points, to end at 45,039.17. The BOJ will sell about 330 billion yen in ETFs and 5 billion yen in J-REITs annually, around 0.05% of market turnover, and scrap its ETF lending facility. It said Japan's economy is recovering moderately, though exports and output are flat, housing investment is weak, and U.S. tariffs are squeezing manufacturers. Core CPI stands at 2.5-3.0% on higher food...