The Hang Seng Index rose 192 points, or 0.75%, to end at 25,690 on Friday, extending its gains for a third session as all major sectors advanced. Sentiment was boosted by continued gains in mainland China's stock market amid reports that ByteDance had reached an agreement with three major investors to form a joint venture to operate the TikTok app in the US, aiming to avoid a potential ban. Hopes for fresh stimulus from Beijing before the end of the year also supported the market, while traders awaited the upcoming People's Bank of China (PBOC) interest rate decision. Man Wah Holdings...
The Nikkei 225 closed today with a slight increase of +0.26% to 49,512.28. Fundamentally, the Japanese market is in a tug-of-war between positive domestic sentiment and interest rate concerns. On the one hand, Japanese export data is strong (supportive for global-oriented stocks), but on the other hand, the market is increasingly convinced that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates this week—this usually strengthens the yen and can pressure exporter stocks. Additional pressures come from less than ideal industrial activity indicators and fiscal issues: factory activity/machinery...
Equities in Hong Kong rose 104 points, or 0.4%, to 25,341 in early trade on Wednesday, rebounding from steep losses in the previous two sessions. Bargain hunting emerged after markets slid to a near four-week low the day before, lifting most sectors, particularly consumer and tech names. Meanwhile, mainland markets stabilized after closing sharply lower Tuesday, weighed earlier by renewed concerns over a prolonged property sector downturn and weak activity data in November. On the corporate front, China Vanke will hold a second meeting with bondholders starting Thursday, with voting...
The Nikkei 225 index weakened slightly by 0.1% to 49,336.22 after losing early gains. This decline followed declines in most US stock markets in the previous session, prompting Japanese investors to remain cautious. US employment data released Tuesday provided mixed signals for the market. According to the Sucden Financial research team, investors are reluctant to draw too many conclusions from the data. Expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve are also considered to be delayed, thus curbing risk appetite. Several stocks recorded significant declines. Eneos...
Asian stocks opened lower after weak US employment data did little to change expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.1%, extending its decline to a third day. This decline followed Wall Street, where the S&P 500 fell again, although the Nasdaq 100 still recorded a slight gain. Government bonds and the US dollar held steady after weakening in the previous session. Oil prices actually strengthened, with WTI rising more than 1% after President Donald Trump ordered a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela....
European stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with the STOXX 50 down 0.5% and the broader STOXX 600 slipping 0.4%, as optimism around Russia–Ukraine peace efforts prompted investors to reassess the outlook for military spending and weighed on defense shares. Defense names declined sharply, led by Rheinmetall (-4.6%), alongside losses in BAE Systems (-1.7%), Leonardo (-3.9%) and Thales (-1.6%). Technology heavyweights also pressured the market, with ASML Holding down 2.1% and SAP falling 1.4%, as softer global growth signals dampened appetite for cyclical tech exposure. In contrast, LVMH...