Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown as lawmakers continue to wrangle over details of a second temporary spending bill. Investors in Asia will look toward the Reserve Bank of India's rate decision late Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 sunk 0.2% at its open, while the broad based Topix was down 0.85%. In South Korea, the blue-chip Kospi was up 0.94%, and the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.84%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.32% in early trade. Markets on mainland China and Hong Kong were closed for a...
The Hang Seng rose 171 points or 0.7% to close at 25,082 on Wednesday, reversing early losses as all sectors ended in the green. It was the fourth session of gains, helped by upbeat Chinese trade data. Exports accelerated in July due to front-loaded shipments, while imports saw the strongest growth in a year amid continued policy support from Beijing. Traders remained focused on the August 12 deadline, watching for progress in U.S.-China tariff negotiations. Tech shares posted modest gains despite Trump's remarks that the U.S. may impose 100% tariffs on certain chip imports—an outcome...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.5% on Thursday (August 7), marking its fourth consecutive session of gains, while the broader STOXX 500 edged up 0.1%. Market sentiment remained driven by corporate earnings and the implementation of President Trump's new tariffs. The US's "reciprocal" tariffs, which target nearly all major trading partners, took effect today, with the European Union now facing 15% tariffs. In corporate news, Maersk shares jumped more than 5% after the Danish shipping giant reported higher-than-expected second-quarter operating profit. Allianz rose 3.6% after its earnings beat estimates,...
Japan's Topix index jumped 0.72% to an all-time high of 2,988 on Thursday, while the Nikkei 225 gained 0.65% to 41,059, marking its third consecutive session of gains. The rally followed a strong performance on Wall Street overnight, driven by strong corporate earnings, as investors largely shrugged off new US tariff announcements. President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, excluding companies building in the US, and doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in response to continued Russian oil imports. The best-performing stocks included Fujikura (+5.3%), Sony...
Hong Kong stocks edged lower on Thursday morning, holding at around 24,906 and ending a three-session winning streak, driven primarily by technology and consumer stocks. Sentiment weakened after US President Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, sparking concerns about a protracted trade war. Investors also grew cautious ahead of China's July trade data due later today, as Trump's unpredictable tariff policies have increased pressure on the Chinese economy. The losses were offset by a modest rise in US futures, amid reports that trading partners were rushing to finalize...
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.5% to 41,000 and the broader Topix gained 0.45% to 2,980 on Thursday, marking the third consecutive gain for Japanese stocks. The rally mirrored overnight gains on Wall Street, driven by upbeat corporate earnings reports, as investors largely shrugged off President Donald Trump's latest tariff moves. Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, excluding companies building in the US, and doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% on continued imports of Russian oil. Among the gainers were SoftBank Group (+2%), Mitsubishi UFJ (+1.5%), and Ryohin Keikaku...