January 19, 2026 9:15 AM

Stocks and dollar slip in Asia, China data a mixed bag

Stock markets slid in Asia on Monday after President Donald Trump threatened to slap extra tariffs on eight European nations until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, pushing the dollar down against the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc. Gold and silver both jumped to all-time highs, while oil flatlined on concerns about what an all-out trade war between the U.S. and Europe could mean for global growth and demand. A holiday in U.S. equity and bond markets made for thin trading and likely contri...

October 6, 2025 1:13 PM

Japan’s stocks zoom, yen slumps as Takaichi win dims BOJ hike bets

Japanese shares surged to a record high on Monday, while the yen and long-term bonds tumbled as Sanae Takaichi was all but confirmed to become the country's next premier, stoking bets on a revival in big spending and loose monetary policy. The Nikkei Index soared 4.75% to close at 47,944.76. It traded as high as 48,150.04, breaking through three psychologically key thousand-point barriers for the first time ever. The broader Topix gauge jumped 3.1%. The 30-year Japanese government bond (JGB)...

June 10, 2025 8:46 AM

Global stocks rise, dollar tentative ahead of US-China talks outcome

Stocks were buoyant and the dollar remained on guard on Tuesday as trade talks between the United States and China were set to extend to a second day, with tentative signs tensions between the world's two largest economies could be easing.   U.S. President Donald Trump put a positive spin on the talks at Lancaster House in London, which wrapped up for the night on Monday and were set to resume at 0900 GMT on Tuesday.   "The fact that we're still up here near record highs, does suggest that...

April 11, 2025 9:54 AM

Global stocks, dollar sink, bonds pummelled again as trade war roils markets

Global stocks slumped and the dollar sank further on Friday, while a manic bond selloff took hold in a brutal end to the week of tit-for-tat worldwide tariffs that have fed fears of a deep recession and shaken investor confidence in U.S. assets. The anxiety has sparked a rush into safe havens, sending the Swiss franc soaring to a decade high against the dollar, and gold to a new peak after a brief but massive relief rally following U.S. President Donald Trump's move to temporarily lower tariffs...

April 1, 2025 9:01 AM

Global stocks stabilise, gold hits record as Trump prepares to unveil reciprocal tariffs

Asian equities rose on Tuesday following Wall Street's overnight gains, while gold hit an all-time peak and Treasury yields fell as markets awaited details of U.S. President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs. The Japanese yen strengthened as traditional haven assets drew demand. Meanwhile, the risk-sensitive Australian dollar was under pressure after a soft reading of local retail sales, ahead of a Reserve Bank of Australia policy decision later in the day. Regional stocks found some respite o...

November 19, 2024 9:07 AM

Asian stocks rise, dollar weak as US yields tick down

Asian stocks rose on Tuesday while U.S. bond yields and the dollar hung back from multi-month highs as traders awaited President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet selection and sought to gauge the outlook for Federal Reserve easing. Tech shares advanced, tracking Wall Street's recovery from last week's steep losses although Nvidia's upcoming earnings on Wednesday limited the scope for big moves. Markets have pared bets for a quarter-point interest-rate cut at the Fed's next meeting in December to l...

June 14, 2024 9:35 AM

Asian stocks slide, yen wobbles ahead of BOJ verdict

Asian stocks fell on Friday as investors pondered the outlook for U.S. rates after the Federal Reserve tempered its rate-cut views even as inflation came in softer than expected, while the yen was shaky before the Bank of Japan's policy meeting. The dollar was hovering near a one-month high on the back of the hawkish tone from the Fed this week, while political uncertainty in Europe kept the euro under pressure. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.48% lower. Chines...

May 31, 2024 3:15 PM

Global stocks and dollar idle ahead of Fed’s favourite inflation figure

Global shares were little changed on Friday in subdued trading as investors hunkered down for key U.S inflation figures that will shape the Federal Reserve's thinking on interest rates when it meets mid-June. The dollar was steady against peer currencies ahead of the U.S. inflation data. Oil was slightly weaker after Fed officials said it was too soon to start considering rate cuts, and following a surprise build in U.S. gasoline stocks. The MSCI All Country Stock index was flat at 780.9 poin...