European shares reversed their earlier declines to close slightly higher on Tuesday, with energy stocks limiting broader gains, while investors weighed the potential impact of a U.S. government shutdown on financial markets. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed 0.5% higher, in its third consecutive session of gains. The index logged a quarterly rise and a third month in positive territory, its best showing since May. London's FTSE 100 hit an intraday record high. Most sectors were on the rise, with media stocks gaining 1.2% and retail up 1.1%. Industrial and healthcare stocks provided the...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher Thursday, breaking ranks with Wall Street that fell overnight as a stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation reading diminished prospects of policy easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.15%, hitting a record intraday high of 8,575.2, surpassing its previous peak of 8,566.9 scaled on Jan. 31. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.1% while the Topix climbed 0.91%. South Korea's Kospi traded 0.71% higher, while the small-cap Kosdaq traded around the flatline. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.58% while mainland China's CSI 300 traded...
Hong Kong's equities surged 283 points, or 1.3%, to 22,140 in early trading on Thursday, marking the second consecutive day of gains and reaching a four-month high. Most sectors advanced, buoyed by optimism over a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia following phone calls between US President Trump, Russian President Putin, and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy. Hang Seng Index up, buoyed by investor optimism over a potential resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After opening 100 points higher at 21,958, the benchmark index extended its gains, climbing as much as 228 points to...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher Thursday, breaking ranks with Wall Street that fell overnight as a stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation reading diminished prospects of policy easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.26%. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.1% while the Topix climbed 0.91%. South Korea's Kospi traded 0.71% higher, while the small-cap Kosdaq traded around the flatline. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 0.58% while mainland China's CSI 300 traded flat. Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 tumbled and bond yields spiked after consumer prices rose...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.1% to surpass 39,300, while the broader Topix Index climbed 0.9% to 2,757 on Thursday, extending the previous session's gains. Nearly all sectors participated in the rally, fueled by a strong corporate earnings season that lifted market sentiment in Japan. This came despite a rise in producer inflation, which reached a 20-month high in January. Japanese stocks also brushed off the hotter-than-expected US consumer inflation data, which strengthened the case for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates steady. Among the top performers were Advantest (+3.6%),...
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Thursday, breaking ranks with Wall Street that fell overnight as a stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation reading diminished prospects of policy easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2%. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.54% while the Topix climbed 0.52%. South Korea's Kospi traded 0.34% higher, while the small-cap Kosdaq rose 0.45%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures were at 22,072, also higher than the HSI's last close of 21,857.92. Overnight in the U.S., the S&P 500 tumbled and bond yields spiked after consumer prices...