The Hang Seng climbed 233 points, or 0.9%, to close at 26,855 on Tuesday, reversing early losses to hit a two-week high on broad-based gains. The index jumped 7% in September, its fifth straight monthly advance, and posted a third quarterly gain of 11.6%, fueled by AI optimism, strong inflows, and bets of fresh policy support from Beijing ahead of the October plenum. Still, upside was capped by U.S. political uncertainty, with Vice President Vance warning the government was "headed to a shutdown" amid stalled budget talks. Profit-taking also weighed as traders braced for China's week-long...
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.05% to close at 42,633 on Friday, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.58% to 3,101, snapping a three-day losing streak as investors digested fresh inflation data. Japan's core CPI increased 3.1% year-on-year in July 2025, easing from 3.3% in June but surpassing market expectations of 3%. The figure remained well above the Bank of Japan's 2% target, reinforcing bets on a rate hike later this year. Market sentiment was also shaped by caution ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech, with investors wary he may push back against...
Hong Kong stocks increased 89 points or 0.3 to 25,191 in early trade on Friday, supported by gains across most sectors. The market rebounded from the prior session's losses despite overnight weakness on Wall Street, as investors cautiously awaited Fed Chair Powell's speech at Jackson Hole. Sentiment also improved on hopes of fresh stimulus from Beijing after China's economy slowed in July. Starting in September, the Chinese government will launch a one-year consumer loan subsidy program, covering 90% of interest costs, with local authorities funding the rest. Locally, Hong Kong's annual...
Japan's equities rose on Friday after data showed inflation in July eased, reinforcing expectations for a potential Bank of Japan rate hike in the coming months. The Nikkei opened slightly higher by 19.64 points to 42,629.81. Japan's inflation in July eased, with the core CPI, which does not count fresh food items, up 3.1% over the same month in the previous year after a 3.3% gain in June, data by Statistics of Japan showed on Friday. Including all items, the reading also moderated to 3.1% compared to 3.3% in June, and marked the lowest since November 2024. Elsewhere, US stocks and bonds...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Friday as investors look to U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the central bank's annual economic symposium, which could offer clues into the path of interest rates. South Korea's jumped 1.22% and the small-cap Kosdaq was 0.94% higher. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1% at the open, while the Topix rose 0.44%. The country's core inflation rate cooled to 3.1% in July, coming down from 3.3% the month before. The figure — which strips out costs for fresh food — was higher than the 3% expected by economists polled by Reuters. Rice...
The S&P 500 closed 0.4% lower on Thursday, marking its fifth consecutive decline as investors looked ahead to Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole. The Dow Jones slipped 153 points, while the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.5% amid continued pressure on major tech stocks. Walmart dragged on sentiment, tumbling 4.5% after missing quarterly earnings expectations for the first time since 2022, despite lifting its full-year sales and profit outlook. Weakness across other retailers added to concerns about consumer resilience in the face of higher tariffs and uneven spending. On the data...