Stocks in Asia drifted at the start of the week as traders refrained from making riskier bets after lackluster economic data spurred a selloff on Wall Street. The dollar declined against its peers, notably the euro. Benchmarks in Hong Kong and mainland China, which got a lift from technology stocks this year, traded in tight range. A gauge of Asian equities edged lower after hitting a four-month high Friday. US equity index futures advanced, as did contracts on Germany’s benchmark stock index after the conservative party came in first in the country’s federal election. The prospects for artificial intelligence has fueled a rally in Chinese technology stocks, offsetting the risks from US tariffs and shifting wagers on Federal Reserve policy easing. Data late last week showed US inflation expectations rising to the highest level in almost three decades. Chinese tech shares have staged a bull run this year, driven by optimism over DeepSeek and Xi’s meeting with major business leaders, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Jack Ma. The euro area’s leading blue-chip index gained nearly 12% during that time span, outperforming the S&P 500. One of the highlights of the week will be Nvidia Corp.’s earnings on Wednesday. Investors have started to boost bets that volatility will come back, with the tech firm’s results the first in a series of events with the potential to send the market into a tailspin. Treasury futures slipped on Monday. There was no cash Treasuries trading in Asia, as Japan’s markets were closed for a holiday on Monday. A gauge of the dollar weakened during early Asian trading. The euro outperformed among Group of 10 currencies, up 0.5% against the dollar after Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz said he’ll move quickly to form a new government following Sunday’s federal election victory. In Asia, diagnostic kits and vaccine maker shares climbed as researchers in China said they discovered a new coronavirus in bats that enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes Covid-19. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng expressed “serious concern” over President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff hike on Chinese goods in a call with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, China Central Television reported Friday. For his part, Bessent also signaled concerns on a host of issues with China, including “economic imbalances,” the US Treasury said. The Trump administration told Mexican officials that they should put their own duties on Chinese imports as part of their efforts to avoid tariffs threatened by the US president, according to people familiar with the matter. Separately, Trump is directing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to restrict Chinese spending on technology, energy and other strategic US sectors, his administration’s latest salvo against the world’s second-largest economy. In corporate news, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is looking to increase ownership in Japan’s five largest trading houses “over time,” Warren Buffett said in an annual letter to shareholders. In commodities, oil held a decline as the prospect of increased supply from Iraq weighed on prices. Gold traded just shy of last week’s all-time high as unexpectedly weak economic data and rising expectations for inflation helped boost haven demand.
Nikkei Closed Hang Seng -0.35% CSI -0.22% Shanghai -0.19% Shenzen +0.13%
Eur$ 1.0515 CNH 7.2371 CNY 7.2379 JPY 149.39 GBP 1.2676 CHF 0.8961 RUB 88.8203 TRY 36.4317 WTI$ 70.20 -0.30% Gold 2938 +0.6% BTC 95,735 ETH 2,728
S&P +0.50% Nasdaq +0.49% EuroStoxx +0.38% FTSE -0.07% Dax +0.96% SMI +0.43%
Macro :
- Trump Orders New Restrictions on Chinese Investment in Strategic US Sectors
- Ukraine Opposes Size of Minerals Fund to Pay Back US War Aid
- EU Seeks Ways to Seize Part of Russia’s Frozen $280 Billion
- China Urges US to Stop Weaponizing Economic and Trade Affairs
- Potential US Curbs on China Investments May Hurt AI Shares: UBS
- Germany’s likely next chancellor warns Nato could soon be dead
- JPMorgan Strategists Say Earnings Keep US Equities Attractive
- Watch European Shipping Stocks as Trump Proposes New Fees
- Watch Gulf Keystone, Genel, DNO as Iraq Ready to Restart Exports
Keep an eye on :
- BABA US : Alibaba to Spend $53 Billion on AI Infrastructure
- ALM SSM : Almirall Sees 2025 Ebitda EU220M to EU240M, Est. EU221.8M
- AMD US : AMD Is Said to Discuss Server Plant Sale for Up to $4 Billion
- AAPL US : Trump Says Apple Will Build Plants in US, Not Mexico
- BARN SW : Hershey, Mondelez Shares Outperform as Cocoa Declines
- BMW GY : BMW pauses £600mn investment plan to produce electric Minis in Oxford - FT
- BA US : BOC Aviation to Buy, Lease Five Boeing 737-8 Aircraft
- GENL LN : Iraq Ready to Restart Exports
- GKP LN : Iraq Ready to Restart Exports
- TKWY NA : Prosus to Buy Just Eat Takeaway for €20.3/Share: M&A Snapshot
- TKWY NA : Just Eat Takeaway FY Adjusted Ebitda Beats Estimates
- CineWolrd : Cineworld to Tap JPMorgan, Barclays For IPO or Potential Merger
- NCOD NO : Norcod Hires DNB for Contemplated Placement of Minimum NOK150m
- NOVOB DC : Novo’s Ozempic Shortage Is Declared Over, Hitting Copycat Makers
- NVDA US : Traders Line Up Hedges Before Key Nvidia Earnings: Options Watch
- PAT GY : Patrizia Sees Negative Ebitda Impact From Accounting Treatment
- PNL NA : PostNL Sees 2025 Normalized Ebit About EU53M, Est. EU92.1M
- P911 GY : How Porsche, Volvo and Rivian Are Injecting Unique Driving Styles Into Self-Driving Cars -- WSJ
- PRX NA : Prosus to Buy Just Eat Takeaway for €20.3/Share: M&A Snapshot
- SPM IM : Italy’s Saipem Near Deal With Norway’s Subsea 7, Repubblica Says
- 9984 JP : SoftBank’s Son Says He Hasn’t Given Saudi Prince Enough Return
- SAN FP : Teva, Sanofi Say New Data Support Duvakitug Efficacy and Safety
- STM GY : Stabilus CFO Stefan Bauerreis to Depart for Personal Reasons
- SUBC NO : Italy’s Saipem Near Deal With Norway’s Subsea 7, Repubblica Says
- TTE FP : TotalEnergies Sees Positive Signs from Trump Admin on Mozambique
- UBSG SW : UBS Shouldn’t Leave Switzerland, Cevian’s Foerberg Tells NZZ
