Global markets rose in cautious trade as investors await earnings results to gauge the impact of Trump’s tariffs. European indexes posted modest gains, while Japan’s Nikkei and Australia’s ASX advanced. Honda reported a sharp profit drop, raising concerns over trade policy effects. US futures pointed higher ahead of key Fed moves.
Representational Image. File Pic
Global shares were mostly higher in muted trading Wednesday as investors awaited a slew of earnings reports to assess how companies have been affected by US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
France's CAC 40 added 0.2 per cent in early trading to 7,638.46. Germany's DAX edged up 0.2 per cent to 23,902.83. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.3 per cent to 9,166.47. The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.2 per cent while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4 per cent.
Among Japanese companies reporting financial results on Wednesday, automaker Honda Motor Co said its profit declined to about half the level of a year earlier despite strong sales in North America. Toyota Motor Corp and electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp report their results later this week.
In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6 per cent to finish at 40,794.86. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.8 per cent to 8,843.70. South Korea's Kospi was little changed, gaining less than 0.1 per cent to 3,198.14.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose less than 0.1 per cent to 24,910.63, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.5 per cent to 3,633.99. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.5 per cent and the Dow industrials lost 0.1 per cent. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.7 per cent.
A weaker-than-expected report on activity for US businesses in services industries like transportation and retail has added to worries that Trump's tariffs may be hurting the US economy. But conversely, such indicators raise hopes the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates.
The pressure is on companies to report bigger profits after the US stock market surged to record after record from a low point in April. The big rally fuelled criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.
For stock prices to look like better bargains, companies could produce bigger profits, or interest rates could fall. The latter may happen in September, when the Fed has its next policy meeting.
Expectations have built sharply for a rate cut at that meeting since a report on the US job market on Friday came in much weaker than economists expected. Lower interest rates would make stocks look less expensive, while also giving the overall economy a boost. The potential downside is that they could push inflation higher.
In energy trading, benchmark US crude rose USD 1.14 to USD 66.30 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added USD 1.15 to USD 68.79 a barrel. In currency trading, the US dollar slipped to 147.59 Japanese Yen from 147.61 Yen. The Euro cost USD 1.1606, up from USD 1.1579.
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