Asian stock markets opened cautiously at the start of the week, with the MSCI Asia Pacific index rising slightly by 0.2%. The Kospi led the gains, while Japan's Nikkei index fell 0.5% after data showed the Japanese economy contracted again. Japanese retail and tourism stocks also weakened due to escalating tensions with China. US stock futures rose 0.3%, providing some positive sentiment. Investors are now awaiting a slew of US economic data, which returns after a long pause due to the shutdown, including the jobs report. At the same time, risk appetite appears to be weakening as AI stock...
Stocks were lower Thursday as investors digested a batch of Big Tech earnings, while a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 131 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 dipped 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8%. Megacap tech giants Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft each reported quarterly results after market close Wednesday. While Alphabet shares popped about 4% on the back of strong results, shares of Meta and Microsoft tumbled about 12% and nearly 2%, respectively. Investors grew worried about the increased...
The Hang Seng Index fell 63 points, or 0.2%, to 26,283 on Thursday (October 30th), reversing early gains and marking its second consecutive session of declines. Sentiment turned cautious despite China's Ministry of Commerce stating that Beijing and Washington had agreed to extend their temporary trade truce for another year following a meeting between US Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea. Traders noted that significant gaps remain, with a partial tariff rollback unlikely to help struggling Chinese exporters or reverse weak domestic consumer demand. Caution also grew ahead of...
European stocks moved mixed on Thursday. Germany's DAX edged higher, while France's CAC 40 and the UK's FTSE 100 fell. The market digested corporate earnings reports, easing global trade tensions, growth data, and awaited the ECB's rate decision, which is expected to remain unchanged. In the US, the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points and will stop shrinking its balance sheet starting December 1, but Powell's cautious comments left the market uncertain about further cuts in December. On the corporate side, Shell posted a jump in third-quarter 2025 profit to USD 5.3 billion thanks to...
The Nikkei 225 index edged up 0.04% to 51,326, while the Topix index gained 0.69% to 3,301 on Thursday, hitting a new record. The gains came after the Bank of Japan held its benchmark interest rate at 0.5% by a 7-2 vote, with two members (Naoki Tamura and Hajime Takata) pushing for a rise to 0.75%. The market remains skeptical about the likelihood of a policy change in December, as the BOJ appears cautious, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is known for her support of loose monetary policy. On the stock front, Advantest hit a new record after raising its profit forecast due to strong...
The Hang Seng Index rose 0.4% to 26,455.74 on Thursday (October 30th), marking a three-week high. The rise was driven by expectations of a deal at the Xi–Trump meeting and positive sentiment after the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points and the Hong Kong Central Bank (HKMA) followed suit. Meanwhile, Hang Seng Tech edged down 0.1%, while in mainland China, the CSI 300 fell 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.2%. Blue-chip stocks rose: China Hongqiao surged 6.4% to HK$29.44, Zijin Mining rose 3.9% to HK$32.32, Ping An Insurance rose 3.2% to HK$57.90, and HSBC added 2.1% to...