US stocks were little changed on Tuesday, with the three major indexes hovering around the flatline as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of a potential government shutdown that could disrupt the release of key labor data later this week. The government faces the risk of shutting down tomorrow if Democrats and Republicans fail to reach a deal today, putting Friday's payrolls report at risk. Traders also awaited the JOLTS job openings data due later in the day. Energy and communication services were the worst performing sectors while utilities outperformed. Microsoft (-0.6%), Amazon...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday , after the U.S.-Russia summit concluded without a ceasefire. Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark rose 0.62%, while the broader Topix index added 0.42%. In South Korea, the Kospi index fell 1.06%, while the small-cap Kosdaq was down 1.44%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 started the day flat. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 25,214, pointing to a stronger open compared with the HSI's last close of 25,270.07. U.S. equity futures ticked up in early Asia hours on hopes for rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve, which fueled a winning week on...
United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded an initial face-to-face meeting in Alaska late Friday, with both parties delivering mutually inconclusive statements. Trump and Putin both delivered vague promises of "progress" on multiple fronts, but initial details remain light. Now, President Trump will be pivoting to hand-delivering Russia's peace proposals on Ukraine to both the Ukrainian and European Union government bodies. Key Putin highlightsMeeting has been long overdue.Ukraine situation was one of key issues.Ukraine war is a tragedy, great...
US stocks closed mixed on Friday as investors digested economic data, corporate news, and geopolitical developments. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% after briefly hitting a record high, while the Nasdaq fell 0.4% amid weakness in chipmakers, with Applied Materials tumbling 14% on a downbeat forecast and Nvidia losing 0.9%. The Dow finished 35 points higher after touching records higher earlier in the session, lifted by a 12% surge in UnitedHealth after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a major stake. Retail sales in July rose 0.5%, meeting expectations, but the University of Michigan's consumer...
The Hang Seng fell 249 points or 1.0% to close at 25,270 on Friday, slipping for the second session as all sectors dipped. Weak July data in China hit investor sentiment as industrial output grew the least in eight months, retail sales notched a six-month low, and the jobless rate rose to a four-month high of 5.2%. The Chinese statistics agency also warned of persistent risks from global headwinds and weather disruptions. Still, the index rose 1.7% for the week, its second straight gain, helped by Wall Street record highs and optimism over a possible Fed rate cut in September, as well as a...
The Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 edged higher on Friday (August 15), extending their gains for a fourth consecutive session as investors awaited the high-stakes Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, hoping for progress in ending the Ukraine war. Sentiment strengthened despite mixed global data, including weaker factory output and retail sales in China in July. In corporate news, Pandora reported Q2 organic sales rose 8% to DKK 7.08 billion ($1.1 billion), slightly missing estimates, with U.S. sales up 12% but China sales down 15%. The jewelry company will double its planned store closures in China to...