Global stocks closed out a strong week with most bourses gaining Friday as markets took a benign view of recent inflation data and greeted progress on a US infrastructure package. Markets had jumped Thursday after the Bank of England (BoE) maintained its ultra-low interest rates, echoing the views of the US Federal Reserve and the […]
Markets
Tokyo shares open higher after US infrastructure deal
Tokyo shares opened higher on Friday as investors cheered news that Washington had reached an agreement over massive infrastructure spending plans. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.97 percent or 279.36 points to 29,154.59 while the broader Topix index added 0.90 percent, or 17.52 points, to 1,964.62. Global shares soared overnight as US President Joe […]
Asian markets sink as traders eye Fed tightening
Asian markets tumbled Monday on growing expectations the US Federal Reserve will begin lifting interest rates as early as next year as it looks to prevent the economic recovery from overheating. In a bid to soothe traders fretting over surging inflation, central bank officials have for months pledged to maintain their ultra-loose monetary policy until […]
Hong Kong stocks close higher
Hong Kong stocks finished on a positive note Thursday, reversing early losses, after Federal Reserve officials indicated they could lift interest rates sooner than first expected but would maintain the bank’s ultra-easy policies for the time being. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.43 percent, or 121.75 points, to 28,558.59. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index added […]
European markets drop on Fed news
European stocks fell at the open on Thursday after the Federal Reserve brought forward its forecasts for hiking interest rates as it looks to prevent overheating in the US economy. In initial deals, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index dipped 0.5 percent to 7,150.86 points. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index fell 0.2 percent to […]
Prospect of earlier Fed rate hike leaves Asia markets mixed
Asian markets were mixed Thursday while the dollar held strong gains after the Federal Reserve brought forward its forecasts for hiking interest rates as it looks to prevent overheating in the US economy, which is enjoying a blockbuster recovery. After a much-anticipated meeting, top bank officials maintained their ultra-easy monetary policy and repeated their belief […]
Asia markets rise with key events on horizon
Asian markets rose Thursday ahead of US inflation data and a European Central Bank meeting, while traders also tracked China-US relations after Joe Biden dropped a Trump-era bid to ban TikTok and WeChat. With the global economy seeing a blockbuster recovery from last year’s virus-induced collapse, investors are in a broadly buoyant mood with expectations […]
Hong Kong stocks end down
Hong Kong stocks finished more than one percent down Thursday with investors taking to the sidelines ahead of the release of US jobs data at the end of the week. The Hang Seng Index fell 1.13 percent, or 331.59 points, to 28,966.03. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index eased 0.36 percent, or 12.93 points, to 3,584.21, […]
Optimism on reopening economy boosts US stocks
Wall Street stocks rose early Tuesday on optimism about the reopening of the US economy ahead of a trove of government data, including the May jobs report. Markets were closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday, the unofficial start of the summer season. Analysts are bullish on the hospitality industry’s outlook this summer after many […]
Asian markets mixed as traders weigh recovery and new infections
Asian markets were mixed Monday as optimism about the global recovery was offset by concerns about a spike in new infections in several countries that have officials battling to avert new lockdowns. Wall Street provided another strong lead after data showed US retail sales were flat last month, which helped ease traders’ fears that a […]