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 stocks edged lower Friday afternoon after briefly hitting record intraday highs, as investors digested corporate earnings and economic data amid hopes that US–China trade tensions may ease when Presidents Trump and Xi meet next week. The STOXX 50 fell 0.3% to 5,660, while the STOXX 600 hovered near 574. For the week, the STOXX 50 added 1% and the STOXX 600 gained 1.5%. Among corporate movers, Sanofi rose 2.7% on a Q3 profit beat, Saab surged 7% after raising its full-year organic sales forecast, and NatWest gained 3.3% on higher Q3 profits and an upgraded performance target. Vinci...
U.S. stocks reached new heights on Friday as cool inflation data raised investors' optimism that the Federal Reserve can stay on its rate-cutting path, boosting the economy and justifying higher valuations for equities. The Dow Jones Industrial average rose 407 points, or about 0.9%. The S&P 500 also added 0.9%, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.2%. All three major averages reached new all-time intraday highs in the session. The September consumer price index report — which was delayed because of the U.S. government shutdown — rose 0.3% on the month, bringing the annual inflation...
The Hang Seng rose 192 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 26,160 on Friday, extending gains from the prior session. The increase came after Shanghai shares hit a 10-year peak, on strong inflows and China's pledge at the conclusion of a plenum to boost the household consumption's share in GDP over the next five years. Policymakers also reaffirmed their commitment to meet 2025 economic targets and support tech self-reliance. Gains were broad-based, led by tech, consumer, and property stocks. SMIC jumped 7.4%, followed by Horizon Robotics (6.1%), China Hongqiao Group (4.1%), and Trip.com...
European markets opened higher after news of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping next week eased trade war concerns. The Stoxx Europe 600 moved positively, led by the technology sector—ASML was the leading indicator—while utilities and property lagged. In corporate news, NatWest surged after raising its full-year forecast, and Sanofi gained on demand for its flagship drug Dupixent. Sentiment was also supported by a mixed earnings season: solid results from LVMH and Kering were partly overshadowed by disappointing reports from Roche, L'Oréal, and Akzo Nobel. Investors now...
The Nikkei 225 closed up around one and a half percent to around 49,000, driven by positive sentiment from Intel's sales prospects. Semiconductor stocks like Advantest and Disco also gained, while SoftBank Group was a major driver of the index's rally. The market mood felt more bullish after the chip sector was "bought back," resulting in healthy inter-sector rotation. Investors are also looking ahead to the next week of earnings reports, including from US tech giants like MetaTrader, Alphabet, and Microsoft. Solid results are expected to maintain buying momentum. Domestically, the Topix...