Asia-Pacific markets fall as investors assess U.S.-China trade developments

Asia-Pacific markets fall as investors assess U.S.-China trade developments


© Marco Bottigelli | Moment | Getty Images

Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday, after mostly gaining in the previous session on easing U.S.-China trade tensions.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.90%, while the Topix lost 0.75%. South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.29% while the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.37%.

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.42%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was flat.

“While markets have largely priced in peak tariff-related macro stress, we remain wary of a second wave of volatility, this time driven by fiscal policy uncertainty and weakening U.S. hard data,” Citi analysts said in a note.

U.S. stock futures slipped in overnight trading after the S&P 500 index rose for a third straight day. China and the U.S. hammered out a temporary suspension of their tit-for-tat tariff dispute earlier this week.

Overnight, the S&P 500 rose modestly, extending a strong start to the week that pushed the benchmark into the green for the year. The broad market index inched up 0.10% to close at 5,892.58, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.72% and ended at 19,146.81. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 89.37 points, or 0.21%, to settle at 42,051.06.

— CNBC’s Brian Evans and Jesse Pound contributed to this report.



Source

Nissan’s CEO on leading in chaos: Be fast and be flexible
World

Nissan’s CEO on leading in chaos: Be fast and be flexible

If you’ve just taken the top job, Nissan’s new CEO Ivan Espinosa has some advice for you. Espinosa steps into the role at a turbulent time for the global auto industry — with slowing EV sales, intensifying competition from China, and new tariffs threatening profits. “Keep the optimism up, because the environment is very tough, […]

Read More
Private equity bosses turn bullish on Europe
World

Private equity bosses turn bullish on Europe

U.K., abstract of glass and steel built office towers in the London financial district. Shomos Uddin | Moment | Getty Images BERLIN – At the world’s largest gathering of private equity professionals, the buzz around opportunity in Europe is undeniable, in a sharp reversal of sentiment from this time last year. That shift comes amid […]

Read More
Investor appetite for the safe haven Swiss franc is causing problems for its central bank
World

Investor appetite for the safe haven Swiss franc is causing problems for its central bank

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Bern, Switzerland, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Stefan Wermuth | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies have rocked global equities in recent weeks, driving investors to seek out pockets of safety in financial markets. One of the beneficiaries of the market volatility has been the […]

Read More