Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed Wednesday, following gains on Wall Street ahead of a potential U.S. government shutdown as lawmakers continue to wrangle over details of a second temporary spending bill. Investors in Asia will look toward the Reserve Bank of India's rate decision late Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 sunk 0.2% at its open, while the broad based Topix was down 0.85%. In South Korea, the blue-chip Kospi was up 0.94%, and the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.84%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.32% in early trade. Markets on mainland China and Hong Kong were closed for a...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday, as rising tensions between Israel and Iran weighed on investor sentiment. U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a military strike on Iran, while demanding that the country's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "surrender," current and former U.S. officials told NBC News. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, demanded "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" by Iran. "President Trump's comments have fueled speculation that the U.S. will become more involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel that escalated significantly five days ago," ANZ analysts wrote...
The Nikkei 225 edged up 0.2% to above 38,600, while the broader Topix index also rose 0.2% to 2,792 on Wednesday, marking its third straight session of gains as investors digested a slew of economic data. Exports fell in May for the first time in eight months amid U.S. tariff pressures, while imports fell more than expected. Core machine orders slumped in April, and manufacturing sentiment weakened in June, reflecting growing concerns about domestic demand. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Tuesday and signaled a cautious approach to balance sheet reduction,...
US equities fell on Tuesday as investors closely monitored escalating tensions in the Middle East, with the Israel-Iran conflict entering its fifth day. The S&P 500 lost 0.8%, the Dow dropped 299 points and the Nasdaq fell 0.9%, amid growing fears that the US could become directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict. President Trump intensified his rhetoric, demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" and warning of a potential strike against Supreme Leader Khamenei in a series of Truth Social posts. At the same time, disappointing US retail sales, which dropped 0.9% in May, signaled a...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost some ground on Tuesday, declining below 42,500 as equity markets roil beneath the weight of the burgeoning Israel-Iran conflict. President Donald Trump is racing toward direct involvement in the altercation, a move that could further destabilize the region. Retail Sales data also contracted sharply in May, with Tuesday's data release showing nearly a full percentage decline in American retail shopping volumes. Donald Trump, posting on social media Tuesday, declared that he wants an "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER" from Iranian supreme leader Ali...
The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering U.S. military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft. Two of the officials stressed the defensive nature of the deployment of fighter aircraft, which have been used to shoot down drones and projectiles. Source: Investing.com