The Hang Seng Index surged 495 points, or 1.9%, to close at 26,322 on Monday (September 29th), recovering from two sessions of decline as all sectors contributed to the rally. Optimism increased after China's central bank on Friday promised stronger coordination between monetary and fiscal policies to support growth, while Goldman Sachs projected interest rate and RRR cuts for banks in the fourth quarter of 2025. Sentiment was also lifted by signs that Beijing's crackdown on price wars is working, with authorities urging Chinese companies in the US to avoid aggressive discounting....
Japanese indexes corrected on Wednesday, with the Nikkei 225 down 0.1% to ±45,450 and the Topix down 0.5% to 3,147, erasing the previous session's gains. Pressure came from Wall Street, which retreated from record highs after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell highlighted overpriced valuations and uncertainty about the direction of interest rate cuts amid a complex policy environment.Sentiment was also weighed down by doubts about the sustainability of the AI-driven rally that has been driving major US technology stocks. Investors in Japan tended to reduce risk ahead of the next round of global data...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Wednesday, tracking Wall Street declines after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that "equity prices are fairly highly valued." Powell also signaled that the rate-cutting path wasn't clear and that the central bank faces a "challenging situation." Australia's ASX/S&P 200 lost 0.61%. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.33%, while the Topix lost 0.35%. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.11%, while the small-cap Kosdaq traded 0.39% lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was set to open higher, with its futures contract last traded at 26,188 against the...
A record-breaking US stock rally stalled on Tuesday, as investors weighed cautious comments from Federal Reserve officials and concerns about the sustainability of AI-driven commerce. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 88 points. Nvidia fell 2.8% after a Monday surge linked to its $100 billion OpenAI investment, as investors questioned the deal's structure and energy demand, while Oracle and Amazon fell 4.1% and 3.1%, respectively. On the positive side, Kenvue rose 1.7% after paring losses from Trump's criticism of Tylenol, and...
European stocks touched their highest in more than a week on Tuesday, lifted by a rally in luxury goods companies on higher U.S. spending and gains for wind energy stocks after a court ruled that Orsted could restart work on a U.S. offshore project. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed up 0.4%, after having touched its highest since September 16 earlier in the session. Most regional bourses also closed higher. Portugal stocks closed at their highest in more than three weeks after the country kept its budget surplus target for 2025, allowing it to continue reducing its debt ratio. Meanwhile,...
The Hang Seng dropped 185 points, or 0.7%, to close at 26,159 on Tuesday, its second straight decline and the lowest in nearly two weeks. Sentiment weakened as China's policy measures fell short of expectations following a press briefing by top financial regulators on Monday, including the PBoC governor. Locally, Hong Kong shut down ahead of Super Typhoon Ragasa, with most flights suspended until Thursday. In the U.S., three Fed officials signaled the need for caution on inflation, while markets awaited a speech from Chair Powell later today. Losses were partly limited by pledges from the...