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...
Stocks rose Wednesday, adding to their recent momentum as expectations for lower U.S. Federal Reserve rates continue driving the major indexes to all-time highs. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively, reaching fresh record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1250 points, or 0.6%. AMD popped more than 5% to lead gains in tech. Apple also advanced about 1%, along with Oracle. Those moves followed a record-setting session Tuesday sparked by a tamer-than-expected inflation report that gave investors hope of a Fed rate cut in September. Traders...
The Hang Seng jumped 644 points or 2.6% to finish at 25,614 on Wednesday, notching its highest level in two weeks while marking the largest one-day rise since mid-May. It was the second straight advance, with all sectors rallying. Sentiment was boosted by China's year-long plan to subsidize consumer loan interest—90% funded by the central government and 10% by provinces—to spur household spending. A strong Wall Street session on Tuesday also supported risk appetite, as slower U.S. inflation data reinforced bets of a Fed rate cut in September and suggested limited pass-through from U.S....
European stocks rose, following U.S. stocks that closed at record highs, as easing concerns about price pressures fueled speculation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.5% as of 8:24 a.m. in London, trading at its highest level in nearly two weeks. Technology and construction stocks led the gains, while energy stocks led the declines. In individual stocks, Vestas Wind Systems A/S fell as the Danish wind turbine company's quarterly failure to achieve profitability raised questions about its margin targets for the year. Nordic Semiconductor...
The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.3% to close at 43,275 on Wednesday (August 13), while the Topix index rose 0.83% to 3,092. Both benchmark indexes set new record highs, extending positive sentiment following the overnight Wall Street rally. This rise was supported by US inflation data, which reinforced expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next month, along with a solid Japanese corporate earnings season. The combination of the two maintained buying momentum in large-cap stocks. Domestically, manufacturer sentiment improved for the second consecutive month in August, following...
Hong Kong stocks rallied in Wednesday morning trading, with the benchmark index rising 357 points, or 1.4%, to 25,324. This increase extended the rally into a second session and brought the market to a two-week high, with broad-based gains across most sectors. Positive sentiment came from Wall Street, which posted solid gains overnight after weaker US inflation data. The data reinforced speculation that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates in September to support the improving labor market. In mainland China, markets also rallied to a three-year high. The main boost came from the...