US stocks rallied on Wednesday (July 23), driven by optimism over a new trade agreement and strong corporate momentum. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to a new record high, while the Nasdaq gained 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 505 points, nearly reaching its own record high. The market welcomed news of a finalized trade deal between the US and Japan that includes reciprocal tariffs of 15%, with President Trump signaling similar progress in negotiations with the European Union. Reports suggesting a US-EU deal is nearing completion, mirroring Japan's framework, further boosted...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Monday (1/27), as losses in the Precision Instruments, Automobiles & Parts and Gas & Water sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.83%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Keio Corp. (TYO:9008), which rose 6.23% or 231.00 points to trade at 3,938.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Taiheiyo Cement Corp. (TYO:5233) gained 5.53% or 209.00 points to close at 3,987.00 and KDDI Corp. (TYO:9433) gained 4.81% or 234.00 points to 5,103.00 in late trade. The worst performers during the session were Furukawa Electric...
Hong Kong's stocks climbed 192 points or nearly 1% to 20,254 around noon on Monday, increasing for the second session and notching their highest level in two weeks as all sectors gained. Traders were upbeat after Bloomberg News reported that the US held off on Colombia tariffs after the South American country agreed to all of President Trump's terms in migrant dispute. A surge of 11% yoy in Chinese industrial profits for December also buoyed sentiment, as it marked the first rise since July even as they recorded the third consecutive year of drop. Limiting further gains was a slump in US...
Japanese stocks started the week on a positive note but quickly gave up most of their early gains as investors assessed the impact of the Bank of Japan's latest monetary policy decision. On Friday, the BOJ raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.5%, marking the highest short-term borrowing costs in 16 years. The central bank also projected inflation to reach its 2% target in the second half of its forecast period, suggesting the possibility of more rate hikes ahead. Investor sentiment soured further following news that US President Donald Trump had imposed tariffs and sanctions on...
The Hang Seng Index jumped 366 points, or 1.9%, to close at 20,066 on Friday, ending a two-day decline. The recovery followed a recent "cordial" conversation between U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in which Trump expressed hope for a trade deal with China. The index jumped 2.5% for the week, marking its second straight gain after Chinese regulators urged insurers and mutual funds to buy more stocks to spur a rapid recovery in mainland stocks. A record close on Thursday in the S&P 500 also lifted sentiment, with Trump expecting lower interest rates as the Fed meets...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.07% to close at 39,932, while the broader Topix index fell 0.03% to 2,751 on Friday, ending a four-day winning streak after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.5%, in line with expectations. The rate hike brought short-term borrowing costs to a 16-year high. The central bank also projected that inflation would hit its 2% target in the second half of its forecast period, signaling the possibility of further rate hikes. On the economic front, Japan's core inflation rate jumped to a 16-month high of 3% in December, strengthening the...