Japanese stocks rose on Friday, though market movements were thin as many foreign investors were absent for holidays. The Topix index rose 0.1% to 3,423.06, while the Nikkei index rose 0.7% to 50,750.39. The gains were driven by technology and export stocks. Nintendo contributed the most to the Topix's rise, rising 2.3%, while AI companies like Disco Corp. and SoftBank Group also posted significant gains. Export stocks in Japan received a boost after the yen weakened slightly against the US dollar, which has boosted the competitiveness of Japanese companies in the global market. Masahiro...
Major bourses in Europe kicked off the week slightly higher, with both the STOXX 50 and the STOXX 600 adding about 0.2%, as traders try to shrug off concerns about the trade war. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum into the US and said new reciprocal tariffs would also be announced this week. This came as China's retaliatory tariffs on select US exports are set to take effect today, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the EU is ready to respond "within an hour" if the US imposes tariffs on European goods. Real...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Monday, tracking U.S. stocks futures that were lower ahead of key economic data, with escalating trade tensions denting investor sentiment. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that he was planning to announce a blanket 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports on Monday, according to Reuters. Over in Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 was trading flat, while the broader Topix index fell 0.16%, in choppy trading. The country reported loan growth of 3% year on year in January, falling slightly from December's 3.1%. South Korea's Kospi was flat in...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday, tracking U.S. stocks futures that were lower ahead of key economic data, with escalating trade tensions denting investor sentiment.U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that he was planning to announce a blanket 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports on Monday, according to Reuters.Over in Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 was down 0.1%, while the broader Topix index fell 0.27%, in choppy trading.The country reported loan growth of 3% year on year in January, falling slightly from December's 3.1%.South Korea's indexes opened lower,...
Hong Kong's equities surged 253 points or 1.2% to 21,389 on Monday morning deals, marking the third session of gains and holding their highest in three months. Optimism toward China's tech sector continued to boost sentiment following the sudden emergence of low-cost AI model DeepSeek. At the same time, concerns over deflation risks in the mainland eased after consumer inflation hit a five-month top of 0.5% in January, topping consensus of 0.4%. Gains were broad-based, with top movers from tech, consumers, and financials. Further increases were tempered by news that President Trump will...
The Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes showed mixed movements on Monday as global market sentiment was dampened by the looming threat of new US tariffs. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced a blanket 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, set to take effect later today. Domestically, investors looked ahead to key earnings reports this week, particularly from Honda and Nissan, following the fallout from integration talks between the two automakers. Corporate earnings from SoftBank Group, Orix Corporation, Fujikura, Obayasha Corp, and Shiseido are also in focus. In contrast, shares...