The Japanese stock market opened lower at the start of this week. The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8% to 45,009.28, dragged down by a sell-off in high-dividend stocks that began trading ex-dividend today. The greatest pressure came from Komatsu, which fell 3.8%, Kawasaki Kisen, which fell 4%, and Dai-ichi Life, which fell 3.3%. This decline is quite common when large stocks pass their ex-dividend date, as investors targeting dividends have already exited their positions. However, the weakness was felt more deeply because dividend stocks typically carry a large weighting in the index. In terms...
Major European bourses traded slightly higher on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 gaining around 0.3%, after two straight sessions of losses. However, upside momentum was capped by US President Trump's new tariff measures. Starting October 1st, branded or patented pharmaceutical products will face a 100% tariff unless the manufacturer is building a production facility in the US. Additional duties include a 25% levy on heavy trucks, a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, and a 30% tax on upholstered furniture imports. Sector-wise, travel and leisure,...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.80%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (TYO:4901), which rose 3.56% or 128.00 points to trade at 3,727.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Japan Steel Works Ltd (TYO:5631) added 3.41% or 293.00 points to end at 8,889.00 and Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. (TYO:8804) was up 3.29% or 96.00 points to 3,012.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Lasertec Corp...
The Hang Seng Index started the day down by 212 points or 0.8%, closing at 26,272 points; the H-share index fell by 77 points or 0.82%, to 9,366 points; while the technology index dropped by 61 points or 0.96%, settling at 6,317 points. In the tech sector, Tencent saw a decline of 0.7%; Alibaba dropped by 2%; Meituan fell by 1.2%; Xiaomi Group was down by 0.7%; JD.com Group experienced a 1.6% decrease; and Kuaishou dropped by 0.1%. Financial stocks exhibited softness, with HSBC Holdings falling by 1.1%; AIA Insurance down by 0.4%; China Ping An declining by 0.7%; and Hong Kong Exchanges...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced fresh tariffs on furniture, heavy trucks and pharmaceutical products. Starting from Oct. 1, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and associated products will face a 50% tariff, while a 30% tariff will be charged for upholstered furniture, Trump said on Truth Social early Friday. Additionally, heavy trucks will be imposed a 25% levy. Meanwhile "any branded or patented Pharmaceutical Product" faces 100% duties, except for companies that build drug manufacturing plants in the U.S., Trump added. Overnight in the U.S.,...
The Japanese stock market is poised to weaken on Friday due to uncertainty over the impact of US tariffs on corporate profits. Nikkei futures on the SGX fell 0.3% to 45,330, signaling pressure on the Japanese stock market.However, the weakening yen provided some support. The USD/JPY exchange rate stood at 149.85, higher than Thursday's close of 148.83. A weaker yen typically benefits Japanese exporters by increasing the competitiveness of their products in the global market. Investors are now focused on developments in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election. The...