US stocks were flat to higher on Friday, following record-high closes for both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq the previous day. The three major averages are on track to end the week over 1% higher. Market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic amid hopes that new trade agreements—particularly with the EU—could be finalized before the August 1st deadline, potentially easing tariff rates. Adding to investor relief, President Trump appeared to soften his tone toward Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, helping to ease concerns about the Fed's independence. Health and materials were the top...
European markets opened slightly higher on Monday, as regional defense and geopolitical uncertainty remain in focus. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up by around 0.1% shortly after the opening bell, with major bourses trading in mixed territory. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Europe are likely to be a focus for European markets this week as U.S. officials prepare for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, with officials in Kyiv and Europe being left out of the discussions. European leaders are holding an emergency summit in Paris on Monday to discuss how to respond to...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Gas & Water, Power and Real Estate sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.10%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Nippon Express Holdings,Inc. (TYO:9147), which rose 8.29% or 207.50 points to trade at 2,712.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc (TYO:8750) added 7.93% or 345.00 points to end at 4,698.00 and Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TYO:8253) was up 6.84% or 242.00 points to 3,779.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Dentsu...
Shares in Hong Kong climbed 322 points or 1.4% to 22,941 in early trade on Monday, marking the second straight session of surge, driven mostly by strength in tech and consumers. The Hang Seng held at its highest in over four months, due to a softer US approach to reciprocal tariffs and optimism for the China's tech sector following the emergence of a low-cost AI model. Tencent Hlds. surged 7.5%, as its app, Weixin, launched beta testing with Deepseek. Meanwhile, the PBoC pledged last week to further tweak monetary policy to spur recovery while maintaining ample cash and aligning money supply...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.13% to 39,200, while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.2% to 2,765 on Monday, recovering some of the losses from the previous session as investors responded positively to Japan's better-than-expected economic growth figures. The country's economy expanded by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, up from 0.4% growth in the prior quarter and surpassing expectations of 0.3%. On an annualized basis, Japan's GDP grew 2.8% in Q4, matching forecasts and accelerating from a 1.7% expansion in Q3. Despite the positive data, investor sentiment remained cautious...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Monday, as investors parsed Japan's fourth-quarter economic growth data, while awaiting a slew of central bank decisions from the region this week. Japan's Nikkei 225 traded around the flatline, while the Topix added 0.15%. South Korea's Kospi added 0.18% andthe small-cap Kosdaq added 0.35%. Japan's economic expansion in the fourth quarter beat analysts' expectations for quarter-on-quarter and annualized growth, preliminary government data showed Monday. On an annualized basis, GDP grew 2.8%, exceeding the Reuters estimates of 1%.The Japanese yen...