The Nikkei 225 index opened lower in trading this morning, Wednesday (December 31, 2025), as investors exercised caution on the final trading day of the year. Index movements tended to be limited as many market participants chose to reduce activity ahead of the New Year holiday, resulting in thinner-than-usual trading volumes. Pressure on the Nikkei stemmed from profit-taking after positive performance throughout the year, as well as concerns about the still-uncertain global economic conditions. Export-oriented stocks were also pressured by the yen's exchange rate, while technology stocks...
The Hang Seng Index rose 107 points, or 0.4%, on Tuesday, reaching 25,909, posting its fifth consecutive session of gains. This rise was fueled by a recovery in the technology sector, fueled by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) stocks that fueled the rally on Wall Street. The Hong Kong stock market also benefited from hopes for further interest rate cuts by the Fed and expected additional stimulus from the Chinese government. Several major stocks, such as CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (up 5.2%), Zhongsheng Group (3.0%), and Ping An Insurance (2.9%), also boosted the index....
Asian stocks continued their two-day rally, following positive momentum from Wall Street that fueled a global rally. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.3% on Tuesday morning after global stock indexes hit record closing highs. In Japan, the Topix index rose 0.5%, while US index futures edged higher. This rise was fueled by optimism about a year-end rally that is expected to strengthen. The S&P 500 erased December's losses and is on track for its eighth consecutive month of gains, which would be its longest winning streak since 2018. Large stocks like Tesla and Nvidia led the gains,...
Japanese stock markets may face a decline on Tuesday, given the uncertainty surrounding the domestic earnings outlook for Japanese companies. The yen's modest rebound from its previous decline also has the potential to put pressure on the market. Nikkei futures were down 0.2% at 50320 on the SGX, reflecting market anxiety ahead of the next trading session. USD/JPY traded at 156.89, down from 157.33 recorded at the Tokyo stock market close on Monday. This yen rebound is of significant concern, as a strengthening Japanese currency typically places a burden on Japanese exporters who rely on...
The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, the Nasdaq rose 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 300 points, with technology stocks outperforming after reports that Nvidia (+1.5%) plans to begin shipping its H200 AI chip to China in mid-February. Meanwhile, Oracle added 3.2% and Micron Technology grew 4%. The energy sector also saw gains, with leading stocks like Exxon Mobil and Chevron rising 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively, as oil prices rallied on renewed supply concerns related to US action against Venezuela, while non-essential consumer goods and materials sectors posted modest gains. These...
European markets moved into negative territory on Monday as last week's positive sentiment wears off. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally ended the session 0.1% lower. It follows a record-breaking previous session where Europe's benchmark index hit a fresh intraday high of 588.07 points, as investors digested a swathe of interest rate decisions. Danish renewables giant Orsted fell sharply in late trading after the U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday it was suspending leases on five offshore wind projects already under construction. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited...