US stocks opened sharply lower in August, with all three major indexes falling more than 1%, as a weaker-than-expected jobs report fueled renewed concerns about the strength of the US labor market and the overall economy. Non-farm payrolls rose by just 73,000 in July, and employment figures for May and June were revised down by 258,000, adding to evidence that the labor market is slowing more rapidly than anticipated. The weaker data fueled expectations that the Fed would cut interest rates twice this year, with another cut likely in September. Market pressure intensified when President...
Hong Kong stocks were little changed in early trade on Tuesday (4/15), hovering near 21,420, as gains in property and consumer discretionary stocks were offset by losses in technology and financials. Traders weighed the impact of a temporary US tariff exemption on popular electronics, announced by President Trump last Friday, while weighing the possibility of fresh levies, including on semiconductors, in the coming weeks. Investors also awaited key Chinese economic data due later in the week, including Q1 GDP, industrial production, retail sales and the unemployment rate. Meanwhile, the...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1% to above 34,300 while the broader Topix Index added 1.2% to 2,518 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session and taking cues from a strong lead on Wall Street overnight. Major US stock indexes advanced on Monday as President Donald Trump exempted key electronic products from his reciprocal tariffs, while also reportedly considering pausing his 25% levies on auto imports. However, caution lingered as the US Commerce Department launched a national security investigation into semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports, keeping global markets on alert....
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher on Tuesday after all three major benchmarks on Wall Street rose on a tech rally. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index opened the day up 1.04%, while the broader Topix index gained 1.14%. In South Korea, the Kospi index rose 0.39% at the open, while the small-cap Kosdaq index fell 0.32%. Meanwhile, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.15% in early trade. Futures on Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were at 21,585, indicating a stronger open compared with the HSI's last close of 21,417.40. India is expected to release March inflation figures later in the day....
Stocks rose in a choppy session on Monday, helped by a rally in tech names following a surprise U.S. tariff exemption from President Donald Trump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 312.08 points, or 0.78%, to close at 40,524.79. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.64% to end at 16,831.48, while the S&P 500 added 0.79% and settled at 5,405.97. All three indexes at times traded in negative territory during the turbulent session. Investors cheered Trump's exemption of smartphones and computers, as well as other devices and components such as semiconductors, from his new "reciprocal" tariffs,...
US stocks were higher on Monday as markets reconsidered concerns around uncertain trade policy passed by the Trump Presidential administration. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq gained over 1% each and the Dow was 350 points higher. The White House paused the aggressive tariffs on computers and electronics from their reciprocal tariff package, including those on China, but Trump clarified that the temporary relief was only announced because sector-specific tariffs on computers and semiconductors will be placed shortly after. The moves extended the constantly-changing trade policy that has...