The Hang Seng added 18 points, or 0.1%, to close at 25,946 on Thursday, marking a fourth straight session of gains amid strength mainly from financials. Sentiment was lifted by Beijing's new plan to spur consumption, including rural consumer goods upgrades and support for sectors such as pets and toys. A modest rise in mainland stocks also aided risk appetite, amid optimism toward the domestic AI sector. On the data front, however, October figures showed China's industrial profits dropped for the first time in three months, reflecting weak domestic demand and export challenges. Trading was...
European stocks inched higher on Wednesday to halt the selloff from the four prior sessions as markets continued to assess the outlook of the Fed's monetary policy and gauge fair values for the highly-speculative tech sector. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 rose 0.3% to 5,552 and the pan-European STOXX 600 inched above the flatline to 563. Investor sentiment, however, remained subdued as concerns over overvaluation in AI and tech stocks persisted, with Nvidia set to report quarterly results after the North American closing bell. Companies with exposure to AI were mixed ahead of the major event,...
US stocks attempted a rebound on Wednesday, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq adding nearly 0.2% while the Dow Jones gained 45 points, halting the sharp selloff seen in the previous sessions. The communication services sector was the top performer while energy lagged amid a drop in oil prices. Nvidia rose 1.7% as investors await its earnings report after the closing bell, viewed as a key test for big tech. Lowe's jumped more than 4% after beating earnings expectations and TJX Companies was up 1% as its earnings and revenues topped estimates. On the other hand, Meta fell 1.4%...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 were flat on Wednesday (November 19), trading near lows not seen since late September, but attempting to stabilize after four consecutive sessions of losses. However, investor sentiment remained low as concerns over overvaluation of AI and technology stocks persist, with Nvidia scheduled to report quarterly results today. UniCredit was among the worst-performing stocks (-1.2%) following reports that it may be considering smaller Italian rival BPER as a potential acquisition target. Engie (-1.3%), RWE (-0.8%), and Iberdrola (-0.8%) also traded in the red,...
The Hang Seng Index fell 99 points, or 0.4%, to close at 25,831 on Wednesday (November 19), extending its decline for a fourth session and holding at its lowest level in two weeks. Sentiment remained weak after Wall Street's prolonged decline on Tuesday ahead of the release of Nvidia's earnings report, the latest FOMC meeting minutes, and key US employment data. Concerns also grew that President Trump's lower approval rating could spur more fiscal spending and increase inflation risks. Diplomatic tensions between China and Japan persisted, further weighing on risk appetite. Locally, markets...
The Nikkei 225 closed down 0.34% to 48,538 on Wednesday, while the broader Topix index fell 0.17% to 3,246. This marked the fourth consecutive day of declines for Japanese stocks. The main pressure came from the technology sector, which is still being punished by the market due to concerns about overvaluation. Investors also chose to be cautious ahead of Nvidia's highly anticipated earnings release, given that many Japanese technology companies are connected to the global AI supply chain. Several major technology stocks weighed on the index, including Advantest (-0.6%), Lasertec (-2.2%),...