The Nasdaq marked a record closing high on Thursday with support from the technology sector while the benchmark S&P 500 barely managed to notch a record close as investors cautiously monitored private labor market data in the second day of a U.S. government shutdown. The benchmark index's valuation was around its highest level since 2020, with help from heavyweight technology companies including AI chip leader Nvidia and Broadcom. With no official government data available because of the shutdown, investors were monitoring information from other sources. A report from global...
(Hong Kong) The Hang Seng Index opened 17 points lower, down 0.07% at 23,240 points. The National Enterprises Index fell 9 points, or 0.11%, to 8,434 points, while the Technology Index gained 2 points, up 0.05%, reaching 5,177 points. In the technology sector, Tencent rose by 0.4%, whereas Alibaba and Meituan both declined by 0.3%. Xiaomi saw no change, while JD.com dropped 2.1% and Kuaishou increased by 0.6%. Financial stocks showed mixed results, with HSBC falling 0.3%. AIA and China Ping An remained unchanged, while the Hong Kong Stock Exchange rose 0.2%. In the automotive sector, BYD...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday, after Wall Street gains on investor optimism after U.S. President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a 50% tariff on European Union imports until July 9. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 and Topix traded flat to close at 37,722.4 and 2,769.51 respectively. South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.25% to end the trading day at 2,670.15 and the small-cap Kosdaq Index advanced 0.23% to close at 728.79. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.13% to close at 8,396.9. Australia's inflation rate rose 2.4% in April, unchanged since February but higher than the...
The Nikkei 225 Index rallied 1.4% to above 38,200 while the broader Topix Index gained 1.1% to 2,800 on Thursday, extending this week's rally after a US federal court blocked President Donald Trump's global tariff measures. The US Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing reciprocal tariffs and ordered the measures to be vacated and permanently enjoined. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision. On the domestic front, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled growing concern over rising super-long-term bond yields, stressing...
U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday as investors weighed earnings, Fed minutes and trade tensions ahead of Nvidia's results. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each fell 0.5%, and the Dow dropped 224 points. Nvidia shares rose 1% ahead of earnings, which are seen as a key test of AI-driven market optimism. The Fed minutes reflected a cautious stance, warning of "difficult compromises" amid economic uncertainty. Trade concerns resurfaced after the Trump administration asked U.S. companies to halt some semiconductor software sales to China, putting pressure on Cadence and Synopsys. Okta fell more...
It's been a broadly negative day for European equities, with the regional Stoxx 600 index closing 0.6% lower as Germany's DAX slipped 0.78% from Tuesday's record high close. There have been few stand-out performers, though defense firms including Renk, Hensoldt and Saab all moved higher as investors continue to eye tailwinds behind the sector. Automaker Stellantis closed 2.2% lower after the owner of Jeep, Dodge, Fiat, Citroen and more named North American chief operating officer Antonio Filosa as its new chief executive. The announcement ends months of uncertainty at a challenging time...