Asian stocks stumbled on Friday, in the wake of ominous signals from US corporate earnings and a series of central bank meetings that raised more questions than answers for the global economy. Hong Kong shares faced heavy selling pressure, with a gauge of technology stocks in the city sliding over 3% after a recent rally. A broader index of Chinese stocks listed in the financial hub headed for its steepest two-day drop this year. Shares in Indonesia and Taiwan also fell, although those in Japan edged higher. US futures were marginally lower. Equity investors in Asia are confronting an increasingly cloudy outlook for the global economy, as tariff fears and corporate earnings weigh on sentiment. US President Donald Trump said both broad reciprocal tariffs and certain additional sector-specific tariffs would come into force on April 2, a major risk for the global economy. Shares of FedEx Corp. — considered an economic barometer — sank after the firm cut its profit outlook given higher costs and signs of weakening demand. Nike Inc. also cited the tariffs and geopolitics tensions as factors that will impact its earnings. Investors are now turning their attention to a raft of upcoming earnings from Chinese companies, with bellwethers Xiaomi Corp., Tencent Holdings Ltd. and e-commerce giant Meituan among those set to report. US-listed shares of PDD Holdings Inc. rose after its earnings beat expectations, but the company acknowledged challenges from growing global uncertainty. In theory, investors should have been able to get a clear sense of direction this week, with policy meetings by the Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England all providing signals. But these central banks pointed to the tariffs as obscuring the outlook, exacerbating a sense among investors that the world is flying blind into April 2. The European Union this week delayed a proposed tariff on American whiskey. The trading bloc is ready to talk to Trump before making further decisions on retaliatory tariffs, Ireland’s deputy prime minister said. Treasuries were largely unchanged Friday, while an index of the dollar was slightly higher. The yen weakened after consumer inflation slowed. The pound lost more ground after the Bank of England voted to stand pat on rates. Weakness on Wall Street also comes ahead of a big test later Friday when $4.5 trillion of options contracts expire in an event known as triple witching that often stokes volatility. Indonesia’s benchmark stock index fell as much as 2.6% before paring its losses. Rising questions about the policies of President Prabowo Subianto have frayed nerves in the country, fueling a precipitous crash earlier this week. Elsewhere, European Union leaders tussled over weapons deliveries to Kyiv and who would represent them in US-led diplomacy as the bloc struggled to formulate a strategy on Ukraine. Oil climbed after the US sanctioned a Chinese refinery, a marked step-up of measures to curb supply from Iran. Gold dropped after nearing a record high. US After Hours MU +3.4% up nicely on earnings; FDX -5.5%, NKE -4%, and LEN -3.4%, down on earnings; NUE -3.5% and X -2.7% ticking lower following weak guidance
Nikkei -0.20% Hang Seng -1.93% CSI -1.47% Shanghai -1.20% Shenzen -1.67%
Eur$ 1.0834 CNH 7.2529 CNY 7.2476 JPY 149.47 GBP 1.2933 CHF 0.8833 RUB 84.6908 TRY 37.9985 WTI$ 68.31 +0.35% Gold 3,033 -0.39% BTC 84,147 -0.42% ETH 1,975 -0.21%
S&P -0.03% Nasdaq -0.03% EuroStoxx -0.07% FTSE +0.04% Dax -0.13% SMI +0.05%
Macro :
- Perplexity AI in talks to double valuation to $18 billion, raise up to $1 billion in new funding
- Israel’s Government Fires Shin Bet Chief, Defying Protesters
- Musk to See Secret US Contingency Plan for China War, NYT Says
- Credit’s Resiliency Will Silence US Recession Talk: Macro View
- Ukraine Says Odesa Under Heavy Drone Attack, Power Cuts Imposed
Keep an eye on :
Keep an eye on :
- ADS GY : NKE -4% on Numbers Lower Guidance and Margin
- ALFA SS : Alfa Laval to Buy Fives Cryogenics Business Unit for €800m
- AAD GY : Amadeus Fire Sees 2025 Operating Ebita EU36M to EU44M
- MT NA : Nucor 1Q Adjusted EPS Forecast Misses Estimates
- ASC LN : Asos Sees Earnings Ahead of Consensus
- BEN FP : Beneteau 2025 Revenue Forecast Misses Estimates
- BEN FP : Beneteau 2025 Revenue Forecast Misses Estimates
- BIOGB SS : BioGaia Says Anatom to Become Anchor Shareholder
- BA US : Family of Boeing Whistle-Blower Who Killed Himself Sues Company
- BA US : White House Set to Announce Contractor for Next-Gen Fighter Jet
- BA US : BOC Aviation to Sell Four Boeing 777-300ER to Thai Airways
- BOL SS : Boliden Offers SEK3.75 billion Shares, Boliden Offering of 10.7m Shares Prices at SEK350/Share
- BOL SS : Boliden Offers SEK3.75 billion Shares, Boliden Offering of 10.7m Shares Prices at SEK350/Share
- 1211 HK : BYD Beating Tesla Is Not Alone in Taking Over From US Tech Peers -8.69%
- CWR LN : Ceres Power FY Revenue Misses Estimates
- CL US : Colgate Boosts Dividend, Authorizes Up to $5b Share Buyback
- CoreWeave IPO : CoreWeave IPO Is Said to Be Oversubscribed After First Day
- CTT PL : CTT FY Net Income EU45.5M Vs. EU60.5M Y/y
- CVC NA : CVC says US tariff ‘chopping and changing’ is weighing on deals market
- DHL GY : FedEx Cuts Profit Outlook Again Amid Mounting Economic Woes (2)
- EXM BB : Saverex Reopens Exmar Takeover Bid Unconditionally From Mar
- XOM US : Trafigura, ExxonMobil Protest Colonial Pipeline Changes
- FDX US : FedEx Cuts FY Adjusted EPS Forecast, Misses Estimates: Snapshot
- FER SM : London’s Heathrow Airport Shut Friday Due to Power Outage
- FPE GY : Fuchs Sees 2025 Ebit About EU460M, Est. EU475.8M
- 2317 TT : Hon Hai Gets First Major EV-Making Client in Mitsubishi Motors
- ISP IM : Caltagirone Gets €500m Financing From Intesa Sanpaolo: MF
- JNJ US : J&J Says FDA Approves Tremfya, Crohn’s Disease Treatment
- JMT PL : Jeronimo Martins CEO Says Company to Announce Changes to Board
- EGL PL : Mota-Engil Agrees With DP World to Build Port in Congo
- MU US : Micron 3Q Adjusted Revenue Forecast Beats Estimates: Snapshot
- MUV2 GY : Munich Re’s Ergo to Buy Next Insurance in $2.6 Billion Deal
- ONT LN : Former UK IPO star Nanopore admits it is a takeover target
- ESOIL IN : Russian Oil Firm Rosneft Mulls Exit from Nayara Energy: ET
- NKE US : Nike 3Q Revenue Beats Estimates , Quide lower -4% in After Hours
- NOVN SW : Novartis Treatment Granted Orphan Drug Status by FDA
- NUE US : Nucor 1Q Adjusted EPS Forecast Misses Estimates
- PARA US : New York Post: Edgar Bronfman Jr. gets subpoena in legal battle to block Skydance-Paramount merger: sources
- PFE US : Alnylam Wins Expanded Heart Drug Approval, Challenging Pfizer
- 1913 HK : -1.9% in HK
- PSM GY : ProSieben OKs General Atlantic Pact for NuCom, ParshipMeet
- RIO LN : Rio Tinto Has 'Strong Desire' to Invest More in U.S., Copper Chief Says
- SZG GY : Salzgitter 4Q Pretax Loss EU154.9M, Est. Loss EU125M
- TKTT FP : Tarkett Holder Tweedy Browne Unhappy With Takeover Price: Echos
- TSLA US : Tesla's Megafactory in Shanghai starts exporting energy-storage batteries
- TTANS US : ServiceTitan Rival BuildOps Mints $1 Billion Valuation
- UCG IM : UniCredit Gets Irish Central Bank Consent for BBPM Life
- UNA NA : Ben & Jerry's Founders Say They Stand Behind Ousted CEO -- WSJ
- VOW GY : VW Is Cutting Thousands of Jobs But Still Dwarfs Global Rivals
- 600745 CH : US-Sanctioned Wingtech to Divest Assets in Face of Heavy Losses
- X US : US Steel Sees 1Q Adj Loss/Shr 49C to 53C, Est. Loss/Shr 32C