European stocks finished the session firmly higher, with the Euro STOXX 50 rising 0.7% and the STOXX Europe 600 gaining 0.8%, extending a rebound from Friday's tech-led selloff as investors looked past near-term volatility. Gains were broad-based, though the defense sector came under pressure after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled Ukraine's willingness to drop its long-standing bid for NATO membership in exchange for alternative security guarantees, a shift that raised hopes for progress in peace talks resuming in Berlin. Shares of Rheinmetall fell 2.6%, with Hensoldt and Renk also...
European stocks followed Asian equities lower as a sharp drop for cryptocurrencies indicated some investor caution ahead of a slew of US economic data due this week. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was down 0.2% by 9:22 a.m. in Paris, with the industrials and real estate sectors leading declines. European defense stocks fell after reports of progress in Ukraine-Russia talks, with Germany's Rheinmetall AG and France's Thales SA both declining. Among other individual movers, ASML Holding NV shares rose after the chip equipment maker was named top pick in the semiconductor...
Japanese stocks closed lower on Monday (December 1), led by the chip and real estate sectors, as expectations of an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) grew stronger. Kioxia Holdings fell 5.6% and Mitsui Fudosan fell 3.7%, while the Nikkei 225 index plunged 1.9% to 49,303.28. The 10-year government bond yield rose 7.5 basis points to 1.875%, its highest level since June 2008, reflecting market pressure over the possibility of a rate hike. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda confirmed that the central bank will discuss the possibility of a rate hike at its meeting later this month. The USD/JPY...
Hong Kong's equity market commenced Tuesday's trading session with modest gains, as investors displayed cautious optimism. The benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced by 86 points, or 0.33 per cent, to open at 25,945. Supporting the positive opening, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index recorded a gain of 28 points to reach 9,158, while the technology-focused index added 11 points, opening at 5,611. Trading activity revealed a divided performance within the technology sector. Industry leaders Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group registered increases of 0.3 and 0.9 per cent respectively, while...
Asian stock markets fluctuated at the start of the week, following the modest gains in US stocks last Friday. Investors are now turning their attention to a series of key economic data ahead of the Federal Reserve's expected interest rate cut decision this month. Amid the uncertainty, oil prices surged after OPEC+ maintained its policy of temporarily halting production increases, while silver hit another record. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures weakened after the major US indexes briefly gained 0.5% despite technical glitches on the CME. This week will be crucial for the US economic outlook....
Japanese stock markets opened sluggishly and were immediately dragged down by concerns about the state of the United States economy and the outlook for domestic corporate earnings. The electronics and pharmaceutical sectors were the biggest drags, with NEC Corp. falling 2.2% and Sumitomo Pharma plunging 4.3%. On the currency side, USD/JPY weakened to 155.85, lower than Friday's close of 156.39, adding to market sentiment. Investors are now awaiting clear signals from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government, particularly regarding her plans to strengthen the Japanese economy and warm...