The Hang Seng Index extended its rally for the third consecutive day in the latest trading session in Hong Kong on Wednesday (February 11). The index rose 0.3%, or 83.23 points, to close at 27,266.38, marking its highest closing level since January 30. This consistent increase indicates that risk-on sentiment remains intact, although the strengthening tends to be gradual. In terms of movers, Xiaomi Corp. was the biggest supporter of the index, with its shares surging 4.3%. Xiaomi's rise contributed significantly due to its large weighting in the index and reflected the renewed market...
Japanese stocks closed slightly lower on Thursday, as trading resumed after a holiday. Investors remained cautious after a senior Japanese currency official emphasized that the government remains vigilant in monitoring foreign exchange movements, despite the yen's recent strengthening and the dollar's weakening trend. The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.02%, or around 10.7 points, to 57,639.84. The cautious statement came from Atsushi Mimura, a Japanese currency diplomacy official, who said authorities remain "on high alert" and are in constant communication with the US regarding market...
The Hang Seng Index reversed its downward trend in Hong Kong on Thursday (February 12th), weakening by around 0.9% to around 27,000 after a strong session earlier. This decline halted the momentum of the short term rally, as investors began to reduce risk in large cap stocks. Among the index's contributors, Tencent was a major drag, with its shares falling by around 2.3%, putting pressure on the technology sector, which has recently been a driving force behind market gains. Weakness in large cap companies like this typically quickly impacts sentiment due to their significant weighting in...
The Nikkei 225 Index rallied 2.2% to around 34,980 while the broader Topix Index jumped 2.3% to 2,590 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares hitting a three-week high and tracking a strong rebound on Wall Street. Those moves came as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled a potential easing in the US-China trade dispute, calling the current tariff standoff "unsustainable." Later in the day, President Donald Trump reinforced market optimism by confirming he has no plans to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, helping to stabilize sentiment around central bank independence and policy...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.4% to above 37,600 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.4% to 2,767 on Friday, reversing losses from the previous session as the recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping lifted market sentiment. The two leaders agreed to resume trade negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing trade war. In Japan, data showed that household spending unexpectedly declined in April, reflecting the impact of rising prices on consumer demand. The softer spending figures add to the growing list of considerations for the Bank of Japan as it...