European stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday (July 23), halting three previous trading sessions' declines, buoyed by speculation that the US might accept lower tariffs following a new trade deal with Japan. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 1.1% to 5,350, and the pan-European STOXX 600 gained 1.1% to 550. President Trump lowered tariffs on Japan to 15% from an initial threat of 25%, despite no reports of substantial progress in trade negotiations between the EU and the US. Progress on auto tariffs with Japan, which has significant exposure to automakers, lifted shares of BMW, Stellantis,...
Shares in Hong Kong fell 105 points or 0.4% to 23,717 on Thursday morning session, snapping gains in the prior two sessions following a tumble on Wall Street overnight as concerns mounted that a new budget bill in the U.S. would put more stress on an already large deficit. Markets retreated from their nearly two-month highs, hit the previous day, as broad-based losses across all sectors particularly property, consumer, and tech weighed on sentiment. Limiting further falls were upbeat notes from UBS highlighting a sharp revival in Hong Kong's IPO market in 2025, with year-to-date proceeds...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.8% to around 37,000 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.5% to 2,720 on Thursday, with Japanese shares hitting a two-week low and tracking a sharp selloff on Wall Street overnight. US stocks sold off on Wednesday as Treasury yields surged on concerns that a new US bill could further inflate the federal deficit. In domestic developments, Japan's core machinery orders a key leading indicator of capital investment unexpectedly surged 13% in March, far outpacing expectations for a 1.6% decline. Despite the upbeat data, sentiment was weighed down by weak economic...
Asia-Pacific markets fell on Thursday, tracking declines on Wall Street as investor sentiment soured on fears that a new U.S. budget bill would put even more stress on the country's ballooning debt. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.06% at the open, while the Topix lost 0.85%. South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.59% and the small-cap Kosdaq declined 0.69%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.36%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped 0.24% in the open while mainland China's CSI 300 fell 0.14%.Investors will be looking out for the unveiling of New Zealand's 2025 budget. Stock futures...
U.S. stocks plunged on Wednesday as a surge in Treasury yields and fresh fiscal concerns weighed on investor sentiment. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 817 points. Long-term bond yields jumped after a weak auction of $16 billion in 20-year Treasury notes, with the 30-year yield jumping to around 5.08%, its highest since 2023 amid growing concerns that a tax and spending bill in Washington could further widen the federal deficit. Retail earnings added to the jitters: Target (-5.2%) missed estimates, cut its outlook...
European stocks closed flat on Wednesday to hold a near two-month high hit in the previous session, as a lack of fresh catalysts maintained the prospect that higher government spending in Europe would boost investment among corporate giants. The STOXX 50 closed flat at 5,455 and the pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 554. Technology stocks led gains in the session, with Infineon jumping 2.5% after announcing a collaboration with Nvidia to develop a new power delivery architecture for data centers. Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, ASML and technology holding company Prosus also closed higher. On...