The Hong Kong stock exchange opened lower on Tuesday, following negative pressure in global markets as investors reassessed the valuation of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and awaited the direction of US interest rate policy. The Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell around 1.3% at the start of the session, moving to around 26,027 points. This decline extended the correction trend in the Asian region, in line with the decline on Wall Street. The technology sector was again the biggest drag on the index, with shares of giants such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, and Meituan each falling between 2% and...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.0% to 44,990.71 in early trading, following a record-breaking rally on Wall Street overnight. The market appeared calm despite ongoing concerns about the US government shutdown. The gains were led by pharmaceutical and chip stocks. Chugai Pharmaceutical rose 3.2%, while Lasertec gained 4.4%, amid positive sentiment in the healthcare and technology sectors. On the currency market, USD/JPY was at 147.24, virtually unchanged from 147.34 at the close in Tokyo on Wednesday. The stable rupiah/yen helped maintain interest in export-oriented stocks. Looking ahead,...
Wall Street's indexes closed at record highs on Wednesday, buoyed by strong sector performance and optimism that the US government shutdown will be brief. Investors shrugged off the first day of the shutdown and weaker-than-expected private payrolls data, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.3%, the Nasdaq 100 rising 0.5%, and the Dow adding 43 points. Health-care stocks led the advance, driven by sharp gains in Regeneron (+6.7%), Moderna (+6.8%), Eli Lilly (+8.2%), and AbbVie (+5.5%), while optimism over Pfizer's (+2.2%) deal with the White House on Medicaid drug pricing provided additional...
Europe's STOXX 600 closed at a record high on Wednesday, with healthcare stocks leading the way after a U.S.-Pfizer deal reduced uncertainty in the sector, while investors digested the beginning of a U.S. government shutdown. The pan-European STOXX 600 surged 1.2% to log its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 23. Most regional bourses were also trading higher, with London's FTSE 100 at a record high. Healthcare stocks jumped 5.4%, marking their biggest one-day performance since November 2008. On Tuesday, Pfizer agreed to lower prescription drug prices in the U.S. Medicaid programme...
European shares were flat on Wednesday, with gains in heavyweight healthcare stocks offsetting the decline in the broader market, as investors fretted over a potential delay in the closely-watched U.S. jobs data. The pan-European STOXX 600 held steady at 557.9 points by 0711 GMT, after posting its third successive monthly gain in September. Local bourses were mixed. Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, while the UK's FTSE 100 climbed 0.2% to an all-time high. Healthcare stocks jumped 2.7% after Pfizer and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said they had cut a deal in which the drugmaker...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.85% to 44,551 while the broader Topix dropped 1.37% to 3,095 on Wednesday, extending this week's declines as investors digested mixed economic signals. Business sentiment among large manufacturers improved in Q3 to its highest level since Q4 2024, though US tariff pressures continued to cloud the outlook. Meanwhile, weak readings in retail sales and industrial production highlighted persistent economic headwinds. Sentiment was further dampened by the US government shutdown after lawmakers failed to agree on a temporary funding deal, raising concerns over its duration...