European markets opened higher after news of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping next week eased trade war concerns. The Stoxx Europe 600 moved positively, led by the technology sector—ASML was the leading indicator—while utilities and property lagged. In corporate news, NatWest surged after raising its full-year forecast, and Sanofi gained on demand for its flagship drug Dupixent. Sentiment was also supported by a mixed earnings season: solid results from LVMH and Kering were partly overshadowed by disappointing reports from Roche, L'Oréal, and Akzo Nobel. Investors now...
European stocks were flat on Friday morning, but the Stoxx Europe 600 was still headed for a weekly gain of ~0.2% as French political concerns eased. The automotive and consumer goods sectors led the way, while energy and mining lagged. ArcelorMittal briefly fell as much as 5.2% after Goldman Sachs cut its rating from buy to neutral due to its perceived "overstretched" valuation. Sentiment improved after news that President Emmanuel Macron would appoint a new prime minister on Friday evening, helping to stem the decline in French stocks following the resignation of Sebastien Lecornu. The...
Japanese stocks closed lower on Friday after the semiconductor sector was hit by a sell-off due to concerns about overvaluation and a weakening Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. The Topix fell 1.8% to 3,197.59, while the Nikkei fell 1% to 48,088.80. Sony Group was the biggest drag on the Topix, falling 4%. Of the 1,672 stocks on the Topix, 155 rose, 1,490 fell, and 27 remained unchanged—indicating widespread selling pressure. In corporate stocks, Seven & i fell 3.5% after cutting its full-year forecast below analyst expectations due to a weakening domestic convenience store business....
The Hang Seng Index fell 0.9% to 26,518.27 on Friday morning (9:50 a.m. local time), following a pause in the Wall Street rally and concerns that AI hype has led to overpriced valuations. The biggest pressure came from large tech stocks: Baidu -3.2%, Alibaba -2.2%, JD.com -1.9%, followed by Li Auto -3.3% and Zijin Mining -4.5%. The Hang Seng Tech Index also fell 2.3%, putting the Hang Seng on track for its worst weekly decline in 10 weeks. Several stocks held off further losses: Pop Mart +1.6%, Trip.com +0.2%, and Hang Seng Bank +0.2%—continuing the previous day's 26% surge following HSBC's...
The Nikkei index weakened 0.4% to 48,397.29 in early trading, following Wall Street's overnight decline that sparked risk-off sentiment. According to Commerzbank Research analysts, the market is still searching for new catalysts amid a lack of US data releases due to the government shutdown, so the short-term direction is likely cautious. Several stocks led the decline: SBI Holdings -3.6%, Sugi Holdings -3.3%, and Sumitomo Forestry -2.7%. In the forex market, USD/JPY was around 153.15 (vs. 153.08 in New York), indicating a persistently weak yen—a factor that typically helps exporters, but...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly weakened on Friday, following Wall Street's decline as investors assessed economic conditions. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.33% and the Topix fell 0.92%; Australia's ASX 200 fell 0.26%. Hang Seng futures signaled a lower open at 26,354 (vs. the previous close of 26,752.59). In Korea, the Kospi closed 0.66% after a holiday, while the Kosdaq fell 0.37%. In the US overnight, the rally paused as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite retreated from intraday records. The general market index fell 0.28% to 6,735.11 and the tech index fell 0.08% to 23,024.63, while the Dow Jones...