Fed rate

December 16, 2024 3:00 PM

Global markets wary of Fed rate plans, China retail disappoints

Shares around the world nudged lower on Monday on soft economic numbers from China and Europe and as surging bond yields challenged equity valuations, at the start of a week packed with central bank meetings and major economic data. Figures from China showed retail sales rose just 3.0% in November, compared with a year earlier, well below market forecasts of 4.6% and evidence of the need for much more aggressive stimulus. Industrial production was much as expected, while house prices were still...

Asian stocks rise on tech rally, Fed rate cut wagers

Asian shares rose to their highest in three weeks on Wednesday, buoyed by a rally in tech stocks, while the dollar wobbled after soft U.S. retail sales data reinforced expectations of the Federal Reserve cutting rates later this year. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.72% higher, with the tech stocks in the region up 1.6% at a record high. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.59%, while blue chip stocks in China were 0.42% lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.3%. Data on ...