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...
The STOXX 50 dropped 1.1% and the STOXX 600 declined 0.8% on the first trading day of August, which coincided with the deadline for countries to reach a trade deal with the US. In response, President Trump announced a series of sweeping tariffs. While the baseline rate remained unchanged at 10%—matching duties imposed in April—tariffs on certain countries were significantly increased, including India (25%), Canada (35%), and Switzerland (39%). Overall, the average US tariff rate will rise to 15%, up from around 2% in 2024. Pharmaceutical stocks also came under pressure after President Trump...
The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.66% to close at 40,800 on Friday, bringing its weekly loss to 1.58%, as tech stocks came under heavy pressure. Tokyo Electron sank 18% after slashing its full-year profit outlook due to weak demand from logic chipmakers. Losses spread across the sector, with Lasertec (-5.8%), Hitachi (-8.8%), Socionext (-4.1%), Disco (-3.6%), and Advantest (-1.3%) all declining. Sentiment was further dented by renewed trade tensions after US President Donald Trump reaffirmed a 10% global tariff and imposed reciprocal duties of up to 41% on countries without trade deals, heightening...
(Hong Kong) The Hang Seng Index started the month of August by opening 28 points lower, marking a decrease of 0.12% at 24,744 points. The H-share index dropped by 12 points or 0.14%, reaching 8,870 points, while the technology index saw a decline of 5 points or 0.09%, standing at 5,447 points. In the tech sector, stock movements varied with Alibaba rising by 1.82%, Kuaishou up by 1.3%, and Tencent seeing a 0.27% increase. Conversely, Meituan fell by 0.41%, Xiaomi Group by 0.66%, and Trip.com Group by 1.42%. Financial stocks exhibited weakness, with HSBC Holdings dropping by 0.68%; AIA...
Japanese stocks are lower in early trade as caution over earnings and domestic politics continue. Chip and bank stocks are leading the declines. Lasertec is down 5.6% and Resona Holdings is 1.6% lower. Meanwhile, a weaker yen is offering some support for the market. USD/JPY is at 150.85, compared with 148.75 as of Thursday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are closely watching quarterly corporate results as well as any domestic political developments. Mitsubishi Chemical Group and Hoya Corp. are due to announce their earnings later in the day. The Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.5% at...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump modified "reciprocal" tariff rates on several countries, with updated duties ranging from 10% to 41%. Asia-Pacific markets started the day lower Friday. Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark fell 0.65%, while the broader Topix index was flat as of 8:15 a.m. Singapore time (8:15 p.m. ET Thursday). In South Korea, the Kospi index dropped 1.73%, while the small-cap Kosdaq declined by 2.1%. Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark fell 0.94%. Source: CNBC