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...
The Nikkei 225 index closed higher on Friday, December 19, 2025, rising by around 1.16% to 49,568. This gain attracted attention because it occurred amidst news of a Bank of Japan (BOJ) interest rate hike, which typically depresses the stock market. The key factor: although the BOJ raised interest rates 25 bps to 0.75%, its policy tone remained cautious and gradual, so the market assessed that further increases would not be aggressive. This meant that investors felt the risk of a "painful" tightening for the economy was not yet too great. Furthermore, the yen's weakening following the...
Hong Kong stocks rose 150 points, or 0.6%, to 25,649 in early trading on Friday, maintaining gains for the third straight session amid broad-based strength across sectors. Sentiment was lifted by a stronger close on Wall Street overnight, driven by a rebound in technology stocks and weaker US inflation data that reinforced expectations of a Fed rate cut next year. A third straight gain in mainland Chinese stocks also supported the market, as investors positioned themselves for China's key policy rate decision next week. Among the stocks that saw significant gains, XPeng surged 4.6%, followed...
Japan's Nikkei stock index rose 0.9% to 49,443.48 in the latest trading session, following a positive rally on Wall Street overnight. The rise was fueled by lower-than-expected US inflation data, raising investor expectations that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates next year. Chris Beauchamp, an analyst at IG, said investors want to see data supporting the Fed's case for a rate cut. However, he also highlighted the risk that uncertainty about price trends could dampen market optimism about further rate cuts. In the Japanese stock market, several leading companies posted significant...
Asia-Pacific stock markets opened higher on Friday, as investors awaited a key decision from the Bank of Japan (BOJ). Markets expect the BOJ to raise interest rates to 0.75%, the highest level since 1995. LSEG data shows an 86.4% chance of a rate hike, amid efforts to curb inflation, which has long been above target. This rate hike has the potential to strengthen the yen against the US dollar and help curb inflationary pressures. The latest Japanese government data showed consumer inflation fell to 2.9% in November, while core inflation remained at 3%, in line with economists' forecasts. On...
US stocks rose on Thursday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.8%, the Nasdaq climbing 1.4%, and the Dow Jones adding about 66 points, after latest data showed inflation rate unexpectedly decreased. The annual inflation in the US fell to 2.7% in November, the lowest since July, below market expectations of 3.1%. Also, the core gauge fell to 2.6%, the lowest since March 2021. Although the figures remain noisy due to the absence of October data following the government shutdown, a sustained moderation in price pressures could pave the way for further Federal Reserve rate cuts next year. Consumer...