European stocks closed higher on Thursday (July 24th) as markets assessed the outlook for trade and monetary policy in the European Union. The STOXX 50 rose 0.3% to 5,359, and the STOXX 600 gained 0.3% to 552. The ECB maintained its benchmark interest rate and noted that disinflation had developed in line with previous estimates. The central bank also noted that further insights into economic developments would be needed before further clarity could be provided on the policy outlook, including a potential trade deal with the US and how the strong euro would move in the coming months....
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 closed at new record highs on Thursday (July 24), up 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. This was supported by Alphabet's strong earnings, which bolstered investor confidence in AI investments. Alphabet shares rose 1% after the company beat second-quarter expectations and raised its 2025 capital spending forecast by $10 billion, lifting shares of other tech giants like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon. Tesla fell 7.9% after CEO Elon Musk warned of challenging quarters ahead. The Dow Jones Industrial Average weakened, dropping 270 points, pressured by an 8% drop in IBM...
Asia-Pacific markets traded lower as investors weigh recent trade developments. Asia markets started the trading day lower. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.24%, while the Topix lost 0.55%. South Korea's Kospi was flat and the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.48%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.41%. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to start the trading day lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 41,740 and its counterpart in Osaka at 41,640, against the index's last close at 41,826.34. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 25,505, pointing to a weaker open...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.4% to below 41,700, while the Topix Index dropped 0.6% to 2,960 on Friday, as investors booked profits following a sharp rally that pushed both indexes to new highs. Despite the pullback, both benchmarks remain on track to post weekly gains of over 4%, buoyed by optimism around the recently signed US-Japan trade deal. Under the agreement, Japanese exports to the US will face a 15% tariff, well below the 25% threatened by President Trump earlier this month, easing some trade-related uncertainty. On the economic front, Tokyo's core inflation came in slightly below...
The Hang Seng Index started the day with a decline of 135 points, or 0.53%, settling at 25,531 points. The China Enterprises Index dropped 41 points, or 0.45%, to 9,216 points, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 29 points, or 0.51%, to 5,713 points. Technology stocks faced downward pressure, with Kuaishou sliding by 1.57%, Alibaba dropping 1%, Tencent falling 0.9%, and Trip.com Group losing 0.39%. Xiaomi Group recorded a marginal decline of 0.09%, while Meituan remained unchanged. Financial stocks showed a mixed trend. AIA Group saw the largest drop, down 1.89%, followed by Ping An...