European stocks ended mixed on the last trading day of the year. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed a shortened trading session 0.1% lower on Wednesday, with most sector indexes in negative territory. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2%, bringing the index to an annual gain of 21.5% – its strongest yearly gain since 2009. Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 ended New Year's Eve down 0.2%, while Germany's DAX rose 0.6%. Italy's FTSE MIB gained 1.1%, bringing annual gains to 31.5% and its best year since 1998. Markets were open for a half-day of trading on Wednesday, and will be closed...
European equity markets were poised to open slightly lower on Friday as investors braced for Eurozone inflation data, which could influence the European Central Bank's interest rate decision in December. Traders will also be looking at preliminary inflation figures for France and Italy, as well as retail sales data for Germany. Meanwhile, there are no major earnings releases scheduled for today. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 futures dropped 0.2%, while Stoxx 600 futures slipped 0.1%.European equity markets were poised to open slightly lower on Friday as investors braced for Eurozone...
Hong Kong stocks fell 42 points, or 0.2%, to 19,328 on Friday morning, down for a second session amid continued caution ahead of China's official November PMI figures due later this week. The Hang Seng is on track for a second straight monthly decline, down nearly 5% so far, weighed down by growing concerns over the impact of Sino-U.S. trade tensions from the current and incoming administrations. A decline in financial stocks dragged on the index, amid uncertainty over whether Beijing will introduce new policy measures to support the Chinese economy as the year ends. Source: Trading...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.7% to below 38,100, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.4% to 2,677 on Friday, reversing some of the previous session's gains. Investors were reacting to data showing that Tokyo inflation rose above 2% in November, fueling speculation that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates next month. Markets now price in a 60% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike in December, up from about 50% a week ago. Meanwhile, the latest data on industrial production, retail sales and employment showed signs of slowing economic activity. Technology stocks led the decline, with...
The pan-European Stoxx 600index ended up 0.45%, having slightly pulling back from earlier gains. Banking stocks led the pack, up 0.98%, while household goods were a rare outlier, down 0.67%. France's CAC 40 index rose 0.51%, rebounding from a decline Wednesday even as the country's risk premium drew level with Greece's for the first time amid ongoing political turmoil.Shares of British insurance firm Direct Line jumped 42%, hitting their highest level since early 2023, after it said a takeover offer from rival Aviva "substantially undervalued" the company. The stock ended the day 41%...
The Hang Seng tumbled 236 points or 1.2% to end at 19,367 on Thursday, marking the first decline in three sessions amid escalating trade disputes between China and the US. The Biden administration reportedly may introduce fresh curbs on sales of semiconductor equipment and AI memory chips to China next week. Meanwhile, US President-elect Trump's trade policies and their potential impacts remain uncertain, with China's state media warning of possibly severe repercussions. In business news, media reports said BYD Co. and other Chinese automakers urged suppliers to cut prices, signaling...