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 rose Monday, tracking Wall Street gains after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the central bank could begin easing monetary policy next month in his widely anticipated annual speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark rose 1.08%, while the broader Topix index added 0.53%. In South Korea, the Kospi index increased by 0.75%, while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 1.71%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 benchmark climbed 0.87%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 25,722, pointing to a stronger open compared with the HSI's last close of...
US stocks soared on Friday after Fed Chair Powell signaled the possibility of a September rate cut during his Jackson Hole speech, sparking the strongest cross-asset rally since April. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively, while the Dow Jones surged 846 points to a record intraday high. Speaking at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole Symposium, Powell noted that the shifting balance of risks in the economy "may warrant adjusting our policy stance," while cautioning that inflation pressures remain. Traders quickly ramped up bets on a 25 bps rate cut in September to...
European stock markets closed higher on Friday, as investors continued to assess the full scope of the European Union's trade deal with America and hopes rose for a U.S. interest rate cut in September. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed 0.47% higher, with top sectors including mining, autos and travel. London's FTSE 100 closed at a record high for the fourth session in a row, adding another 0.13% on Friday to clinch its best weekly performance since May. U.K. stocks have found support this week from gains in mining, retail and defensive stocks, along with Purchasing Managers'...
US stocks rose slightly on Friday after a decline led by the technology sector this week as the market awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 0.6%, while the Nasdaq 100 edged up only slightly. Powell is likely to reveal how the FOMC is balancing inflation risks with a slowing labor market, as downward revisions to payrolls data weighed on high producer prices and cost measures in the PMI. Technology stocks were the highlight of the corporate sector. Alphabet rose 1.5% after...
The Hang Seng Index rose 212 points, or 0.8%, to close at 25,317 on Friday (August 22nd), rebounding from the previous session's decline as mainland Chinese markets reached a decade-high on resurgent tech optimism. The Hang Seng Technology Index surged 2.7% after DeepSeek launched its upgraded AI V3 model on Thursday, boosted by domestic semiconductors as Beijing develops chip self-sufficiency. Consumer stocks also rose sharply on hopes of fresh stimulus from Beijing after signs of a slowdown in Chinese activity in July. Locally, Hong Kong's annual inflation fell to a four-year low of 1.0%...