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...
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%),...
The Hong Kong stock exchange opened Wednesday with limited gains. The Hang Seng Index edged up around 24 points to 25,954, indicating the market hasn't fully lifted its cautious stance. Early in the session, technology and financial stocks were the main focus due to their inconsistent movements. In the technology sector, the Hang Seng Technology Index rose around 0.37% to 5,666, while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index also gained around 0.19% to 9,192. Several major names, such as Tencent and Alibaba, moved positively, rising around 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively. Meituan and JD.com only...