The Hang Seng climbed 233 points, or 0.9%, to close at 26,855 on Tuesday, reversing early losses to hit a two-week high on broad-based gains. The index jumped 7% in September, its fifth straight monthly advance, and posted a third quarterly gain of 11.6%, fueled by AI optimism, strong inflows, and bets of fresh policy support from Beijing ahead of the October plenum. Still, upside was capped by U.S. political uncertainty, with Vice President Vance warning the government was "headed to a shutdown" amid stalled budget talks. Profit-taking also weighed as traders braced for China's week-long...
The Hang Seng lost 95 points or 0.5% to finish at 19,700 on Tuesday, down for the third session amid a steep decline in US futures following a record close on Wall Street Nasdaq, ahead of an anticipated interest rate reduction from the Fed Wednesday. The index hits its lowest level in over a week, weighed by the third straight session of losses in Chinese markets and vigilance before the PBoC's monthly review of key lending rates later this week, after record low levels in November. Further declines were limited by a report from Reuters that China plans a record top budget deficit of 4% in...
European markets opened in negative territory on Tuesday as central banks took center stage this week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened 0.4% lower with all sectors in negative territory, as did all major European bourses. The focus of global markets this week is the U.S. Federal Reserve's final two-day policy meeting of the year. The meeting begins on Tuesday, with the central bank's monetary policy decision due on Dec. 18. Traders are pricing in a 95% chance of a quarter-point rate cut on Wednesday, according to CME Group's Fed Watch tool. Investors will also be looking for...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.23% to close at 39,365, while the broader Topix index fell 0.37% to 2,728 on Tuesday, reversing earlier gains on caution ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision later this week. The Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, but could signal fewer cuts next year amid concerns over a resurgence in inflation. At home, speculation is growing that the Bank of Japan may delay a rate hike this week as BOJ officials wait for more time to assess the latest economic data. In corporate news, Advantest shares plunged 9.1% after it...
The Hang Seng Index opened down 117 points, or 0.59%, at 19,678 points this morning, reflecting a cautious market sentiment. The China Enterprises Index fell by 37 points, or 0.52%, to 7,095 points, while the Tech Index declined by 27 points, or 0.61%, settling at 4,387 points. By 10.04am, the Hang Seng Index was trading at 19,735.99, down 59.50 points, or 0.30%. Technology stocks displayed a generally weak performance, with Tencent decreasing by 0.8% and Alibaba falling by 0.5%. Meituan saw a more pronounced drop of 1.6%, while Xiaomi managed a slight gain of 0.6%. JD.com and Kuaishou...
The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.6% to around 39,680, while the broader Topix Index rose 0.5% to 2,750 on Tuesday (17/12), recovering losses from the previous session. The rally was largely fueled by a strong performance on Wall Street, where technology stocks outperformed. Investors are also bracing for an expected interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this week, with much attention on the Fed's projections for 2025. Domestically, markets are speculating that the Bank of Japan may hold off on raising rates this month. BOJ officials suggested last week that more time is needed to assess...