Home: dpa-AFX

Newsticker

CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stocks ended mixed on Wednesday after a slew of U.S. companies suspended or tweaked their full year guidance and regional factory activity data disappointed.

Traders also awaited key U.S. GDP and inflation data as well as earnings from big tech companies like Apple and Amazon for directional cues as President Donald Trump marked 100 days in office during his second term.

The dollar drifted lower after data showed U.S. job openings fell to 7.19M in March-the lowest since Sept 2024 due to trade uncertainty.

Gold dipped towards $3,300 per ounce while oil headed for its biggest, full-month loss for April on uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and global economic growth.

Chinese shares ended lower on growth worries after a survey showed China's factory activity contracted at the fastest pace in 16 months in April.

The official purchasing managers' index came in at 49.0 in April due to escalating trade war with the U.S.

The Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.23 percent to 3,279.03 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged up by 0.51 percent to 22,119.41.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said during a press conference at the White House that China could lose 10 million jobs quickly if the U.S. keeps tariffs in place at the current level of 145 percent.

Meanwhile, Reuters said, citing sources that China has waived the 125 percent tariff on ethane imports from the United States imposed earlier this month.

Japanese markets advanced as investors reacted to mixed economic reports and looked ahead to Thursday's BOJ rate decision.

Japan's factory output fell last month, while retail sales rose slightly less than the median market forecast, data showed earlier today.

The Nikkei average climbed 0.57 percent to 36,045.38 and posted its first gain for the year on optimism surrounding a potential trade deal. The broader Topix index closed 0.63 percent higher at 2,667.29.

Sony Group shares soared 7.1 percent on reports that the entertainment and electronics company is mulling spinning of its semiconductor unit, with a decision expected as soon as this year.

Seoul stocks snapped a three-day winning streak, with auto, battery and chip-related stocks leading losses. The Kospi average fell 0.34 percent to 2,556.61.

Shares of Samsung Electronics dropped half a percent. The company has warned over new tariffs and export curbs after posting its highest-ever first-quarter 2025 revenue on the back of strong Galaxy S25 smartphone sales.

Australian markets rose for a fifth day running as data showed core inflation in the country slowed to a three-year low in the first quarter, reinforcing expectations for an RBA rate cut in May.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.69 percent to 8,126.20, led by gains in financial and consumer stocks. The broader All Ordinaries index settled 0.64 percent higher at 8,341.

Across the Tasman, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index fell 1.02 percent to 11,903.31, marking its second straight session of losses amid U.S. tariff woes.

U.S. stocks rose overnight as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration had reached its first trade deal.

He declined to name the country involved, adding their prime minister and the parliament will give their approval 'shortly.'

Bessent also told reporters the U.S. is 'very close' to a trade deal with India, has had 'substantial talks' with Japan and has 'the contours of a deal' with South Korea.

Investors shrugged off downbeat economic reports, with the U.S. trade deficit in goods widening to a record high in March, job openings falling to the lowest since September and consumer confidence sinking to a five-year low, driven by tariffs and recession fears.

The S&P 500 gained 0.6 percent to end higher for the sixth straight session and reach its best closing level in almost a month.

The Dow jumped 0.8 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6 percent.

BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are seen opening mixed on Wednesday as investors await key tech earnings and economic readings for direction.

Four of the 'Magnificent Seven' companies - Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms and Microsoft - are among the companies due to report their quarterly results this week.

In economic releases, trading later in the day may be impacted by reaction to a slew of U.S. economic data, including reports on private sector employment and first quarter GDP as well as the Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation.

Friday's highly anticipated government report is expected to show the U.S. job market grew steadily in April.

Asian markets were mixed as official PMI data showed a renewed loss of momentum in China's factory sector in April.

Elsewhere, Japan's factory output fell more than expected in March, while Australia's core inflation slowed to a three-year low in Q1, supporting the case for an RBA rate cut in May.

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics reported a better-than-expected 21.7 percent rise in first-quarter net profit but flagged macroeconomic uncertainties due to trade tensions and a slowdown in global growth.

Regional losses, if any, remained capped as U.S. President Donald Trump signed a pair of directives easing the impact of his tariffs on the automotive industry.

The U.S. dollar held steady in Asian trading but was poised for its weakest monthly performance since November 2022.

Gold fell toward $3,300 per ounce while oil was set for its biggest monthly fall in three years on concerns about the outlook for fuel demand.

U.S. stocks rose overnight as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration had reached its first trade deal.

He declined to name the country involved, adding their prime minister and the parliament will give their approval 'shortly.'

Bessent also told reporters the U.S. is 'very close' to a trade deal with India, has had 'substantial talks' with Japan and has 'the contours of a deal' with South Korea.

The S&P 500 gained 0.6 percent to end higher for the sixth straight session and reach its best closing level in almost a month.

The Dow jumped 0.8 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6 percent.

European stocks closed broadly higher on Tuesday as investors parsed a flurry of earnings to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs.

The pan European STOXX 600 gained 0.4 percent. The German DAX climbed 0.7 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 0.6 percent while France's CAC 40 slid 0.2 percent.

CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Asian stock markets are trading mixed on Wednesday, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, amid the ongoing uncertainty about the tariff war and fears of a global economic slowdown. There are also some positive developments on the trade front, with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick telling CNBC the Trump administration has reached its first trade deal. Asian markets closed mixed on Tuesday.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also told reporters the U.S. is 'very close' to a trade deal with India, has had 'substantial talks' with Japan and has 'the contours of a deal' with South Korea.

Traders also seemed reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key earnings and economic news in the coming days, including key U.S. inflation data for additional clues about the US Fed's policy path.

Australian shares are trading slightly higher on Wednesday, adding to the gains in the previous four sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 moving up to near the 8,100 level, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, with gains financial and technology stocks partially offset by weakness in energy stocks.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is gaining 12.70 points or 0.16 percent to 8,083.30, after touching a high of 8,102.40 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is up 10.30 points or 0.12 percent to 8,298.20. Australian stocks ended significantly higher on Tuesday.

Among major miners, BHP Group, Mineral Resources and Fortescue Metals are edging up 0.1 to 0.3 percent each, while Rio Tinto is adding almost 1 percent.

Oil stocks are mostly lower. Woodside Energy is edging down 0.1 percent and Beach energy is down more than 1 percent, while Santos and Origin Energy are losing almost 1 percent each.

In the tech space, Afterpay owner Block, Zip and WiseTech Global are gaining almost 1 percent each, while Xero is edging up 0.4 percent. Appen is losing almost 3 percent.

Among the big four banks, ANZ Banking and Commonwealth Bank are gaining almost 1 percent each, while National Australia Bank and Westpac are edging up 0.3 to 0.4 percent each.

Among gold miners, Newmont is edging down 0.5 percent and Northern Star Resources is declining more than 1 percent, while Evolution Mining and Gold Road Resources are edging up 0.4 to 0.5 percent each. Resolute Mining is flat.

In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.640 on Wednesday.

The Japanese stock market is trading modest higher on Wednesday, extending the gains in the previous four sessions, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is moving a tad above the 35,900 level, with gains in exporters and financial stocks partially offset by weakness in automakers and technology stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index closed the morning session at 35,902.51, up 62.52 points or 0.17 percent, after touching a high of 36,023.24 earlier. Japanese stocks ended modestly higher on Monday ahead of the holiday on Tuesday.

Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is edging down 0.2 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is losing almost 2 percent. Among automakers, Honda is declining almost 1 percent and Toyota is losing almost 2 percent.

In the tech space, Advantest and Tokyo Electron are losing almost 1 percent each, while Screen Holdings is edging down 0.3 percent.

In the banking sector, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial are gaining more than 1 percent, while Mizuho Financial is edging up 0.2 percent.

Among the major exporters, Canon is edging up 0.3 percent, Panasonic is gaining almost 1 percent, Mitsubishi Electric is adding more than 2 percent and Sony is surging more than 5 percent.

Among other major gainers, Sumitomo Pharma is skyrocketing almost 15 percent, Toto is soaring almost 8 percent, NEC is surging more than 6 percent and Tokuyama is advancing almost 5 percent, while Socionext, Fuji Electric and Recruit Holdings are gaining almost 4 percent each. Daiichi Sankyo, Sumitomo Chemical and TDK are adding more than 3 percent each, while Chiba Bank, Nintendo and Chugai Pharmaceutical are up almost 3 percent each.

Conversely, Nikon is plunging almost 9 percent, Kikkoman is slipping almost 7 percent, Oriental Land is declining almost 6 percent and Hitachi is losing almost 4 percent.

In economic news, the value of retail sales in Japan was up 3.1 percent on year in March, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry or METI said on Wednesday - coming in at 14.063 trillion yen. That missed expectations for an increase of 3.6 percent and was up from 1.3 percent in February. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales fell 1.2 percent. For the first quarter of 2025, retail sales were up 2.9 percent on year and 1.5 percent on quarter at 38.970 trillion yen.

The METI also said industrial production in Japan was down a seasonally adjusted 1.1 percent on month in March. That missed forecasts for a decline of 0.5 percent following the 2.3 percent increase in February. On a yearly basis, industrial production was down 0.3 percent.

Upon the release of the data, the METI maintained its assessment of industrial production, saying that it continues to fluctuate indecisively. According to the METI's forecast of industrial production, output is expected to rise 1.3 percent in April and 3.9 percent in May.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 142 yen-range on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in Asia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong and South Korea are lower by between 0.1 and 0.6 percent each, while Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia are higher by between 0.1 and 0.5 percent each.

On the Wall Street, stocks moved mostly higher over the course of the trading day on Tuesday after showing a lack of direction early in the session. With the upward move, the S&P 500 closed higher for the sixth straight session, reaching its best closing level in almost a month.

The major averages ended the day off their highs of the session but still firmly positive. The Dow jumped 300.03 points or 0.8 percent to 40,527.62, the S&P 500 climbed 32.08 points or 0.6 percent to 5,560.83 and the Nasdaq rose 95.18 points or 0.6 percent to 17,461.32.

Meanwhile, the major European markets ended the day mixed. While the French CAC 40 Index dipped 0.2 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index rose by 0.6 percent and the German DAX Index climbed by 0.7 percent.

Crude oil prices moved sharply on Tuesday amid ongoing concerns that a weakening U.S. economy and the U.S.-led trade war with partners will hurt energy demand. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery plunged $1.63 or 2.6 percent to $60.42 a barrel.

TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese stock market is trading slightly higher on Wednesday, extending the gains in the previous four sessions, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is moving up to near the 35,900 level, with gains in exporters and financial stocks partially offset by weakness in automakers and technology stocks.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index is up 43.62 or 0.12 percent at 35,883.61, after touching a high of 36,023.24 earlier. Japanese stocks ended modestly higher on Monday ahead of the holiday on Tuesday.

In the tech space, Advantest and Tokyo Electron are losing almost 1 percent each, while Screen Holdings is edging down 0.3 percent.

In the banking sector, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial are gaining more than 1 percent, while Mizuho Financial is edging up 0.2 percent.

Among the major exporters, Canon is edging up 0.3 percent, Panasonic is gaining almost 1 percent, Mitsubishi Electric is adding more than 2 percent and Sony is surging more than 5 percent.

Conversely, Nikon is plunging almost 9 percent, Kikkoman is slipping almost 7 percent, Oriental Land is declining almost 6 percent and Hitachi is losing almost 4 percent.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 142 yen-range on Wednesday.

BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The China stock market has finished lower in three straight sessions, sliding more than a dozen points or 0.4 percent along the way. The Shanghai Composite Index now sits just beneath the 3,290-point plateau although it may stop the bleeding on Wednesday.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is positive on optimism ahead of earnings season. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are expected to follow that lead.

The SCI finished slightly lower on Tuesday following losses from the financial shares, resource stocks and oil companies.

For the day, the index eased 1.76 points or 0.05 percent to finish at 3,286.65 after trading between 3,277.63 and 3,294.98. The Shenzhen Composite Index rose 4.52 points or 0.24 percent to end at 1,902.27.

Among the actives, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China declined 0.27 percent, while Bank of China eased 0.18 percent, Agricultural Bank of China was down 0.36 percent, China Merchants Bank and Huaneng Power both sank 0.83 percent, Bank of Communications slumped 0.53 percent, China Life Insurance dipped 0.44 percent, Jiangxi Copper lost 0.51 percent, Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco) dropped 0.93 percent, Yankuang Energy fell 0.24 percent, PetroChina skidded 1.00 percent, China Petroleum and Chemical (Sinopec) retreated 1.40 percent, China Shenhua Energy improved 0.71 percent, Gemdale shed 0.69 percent, Poly Developments rose 0.24 percent and China Vanke slipped 0.29 percent.

The lead from Wall Street is upbeat as the major averages opened mixed on Tuesday but trended steadily upward throughout the session to finish with solid gains.

The Dow rallied 300.03 points or 0.75 percent to finish at 40,527.62, while the NASDAQ advanced 95.19 points or 0.55 percent to close at 17,461.32 and the S&P 500 gained 32.08 points or 0.58 percent to end at 5,560.83.

The strength that emerged on Wall Street came amid positive developments on the trade front, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick telling CNBC the Trump administration had reached its first trade deal.

Earlier in the day, traders seemed reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key earnings and economic news in the coming days.

Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Visa (V), Eli Lilly (LLY), Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are all due to report earnings this week.

Crude oil futures moved sharply on Tuesday amid ongoing concerns that a weakening U.S. economy and the U.S.-led trade war with partners will hurt energy demand. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery plunged $1.63 or 2.6 percent to $60.42 a barrel.

Closer to home, China will see April results for its manufacturing, non-manufacturing and composite PMIs from the National Bureau of Statistics later this morning; in March, their scores were 50.5, 50.8 and 51.4, respectively.

TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Ahead of Tuesday's holiday for Showa Day, the Japanese stock market had finished higher in four straight sessions, collecting almost 1,650 points or 4.6 percent along the way. The Nikkei 225 now sits just beneath the 35,840-point plateau and it's got a solid lead for Wednesday's trade.

The global forecast for the Asian markets is positive on optimism ahead of earnings season. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are expected to follow that lead.

The Nikkei finished modestly higher on Monday following gains from the financial shares and automobile producers, while the technology stocks were mixed.

For the day, the index improved 134.25 points or 0.38 percent to finish at 35,839.99 after trading between 35,773.49 and 36,075.26.

Among the actives, Nissan Motor accelerated 2.33 percent, while Mazda Motor perked 0.11 percent, Toyota Motor soared 3.59 percent, Honda Motor advanced 0.97 percent, Softbank Group sank 0.97 percent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial rallied 2.13 percent, Mizuho Financial jumped 1.72 percent, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial collected 2.01 percent, Mitsubishi Electric skidded 1.00 percent, Sony Group shed 0.42 percent, Panasonic Holdings strengthened 1.45 percent and Hitachi was up 0.08 percent.

The lead from Wall Street is upbeat as the major averages opened mixed on Tuesday but trended steadily upward throughout the session to finish with solid gains.

Earlier in the day, traders seemed reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key earnings and economic news in the coming days.

Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Visa (V), Eli Lilly (LLY), Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are all due to report earnings this week.

Closer to home, Japan is scheduled to release a batch of data this morning, including March figures for industrial production, retail sales, construction orders and housing starts, as well as February results for the leading and coincident indexes.

Industrial production is expected to sink 0.5 percent on month after rising 2.3 percent in February. Sales are seen higher by 3.6 percent on year, up from 1.4 percent in the previous month. Housing starts are seen higher by an annual 0.9 percent, moderating from 2.4 percent a month earlier.

Construction orders are tipped to fall 0.8 percent on year after contracting 3.3 percent in February. The leading index is expected to slip 0.3 percent on month after rising 04 percent in the previous month. The coincident is tipped to rise 0.8 percent on month, up from 0.1 percent a month earlier.

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After showing a lack of direction early in the session, stocks moved mostly higher over the course of the trading day on Tuesday. With the upward move, the S&P 500 closed higher for the sixth straight session, reaching its best closing level in almost a month.

Lutnick declined to name the country involved but said he expects their prime minister and parliament to give their approval 'shortly.'

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also told reporters the U.S. is 'very close' to a trade deal with India, has had 'substantial talks' with Japan and has 'the contours of a deal' with South Korea.

Earlier in the day, traders seemed reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key earnings and economic news in the coming days.

Four of the 'Magnificent Seven' companies - Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) - are among the companies due to report their quarterly results this week.

Big-name companies like Visa (V), Eli Lilly (LLY), Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are also due to report their quarterly results.

The Labor Department's monthly jobs report is also likely to be in focus later this week along with the Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation.

Sector News

Pharmaceutical stocks showed a significant move to the upside on the day, driving the NYSE Arca Pharmaceutical Index up by 1.4 percent.

Drug giant Pfizer (PFE) helped lead the sector higher after reporting better than expected first quarter earnings and maintaining its full-year guidance.

Notable strength also emerged among telecom stocks, as reflected by the 1.1 percent gain posted by the NYSE Arca North American Telecom Index.

Software, networking and banking stocks also saw some strength on the day, while gold and semiconductor stocks moved to the downside.

Other Markets

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region turned in a mixed performance, with the Japanese markets closed for a holiday. China's Shanghai Composite Index edged down by 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index crept up by 0.2 percent.

The major European markets also ended the day mixed. While the French CAC 40 Index dipped by 0.2 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index rose by 0.6 percent and the German DAX Index climbed by 0.7 percent.

In the bond market, treasuries extended the upward trend seen over the past several sessions. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, fell 4.3 basis points to 4.173 percent.

Looking Ahead

Trading on Tuesday may be impacted by reaction to a slew of U.S. economic data, including reports on private sector employment and first quarter GDP as well as the Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation.

BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Switzerland market ended modestly higher on Tuesday after holding firm right through the day's trading session. Reports that the U.S. would move to reduce the impact of duties imposed on foreign parts in domestically manufactured cars helped underpin sentiment.

The benchmark SMI ended with a gain of 38.44 points or 0.32% at 12,066.69, more than 50 points off a high of 12,117.85 it touched around early afternoon.

Sandoz Group climbed about 1.7%. Roche Holding gained 1.43%, while Givaudan and Zurich Insurance both ended higher by about 1.2%.

Lonza Group, Swisscom, Novartis, Alcon, Swiss Re, Logitech International and Julius Baer gained 0.5 to 1.1%.

Novartis gained nearly 1% after reporting a 34% (year-over-year) surge in first-quarter net income to $3.61 billion, thanks to higher operating income and a 12% increase in net sales to third parties. The company raised its guidance for full-year 2025, expecting a high single-digit growth in net sales.

ABB closed nearly 2% down. SIG Group and Adecco ended down 1.46% and 1.37%, respectively. Richemont, Kuehne + Nagel, Holcim, Strauamann Holding, Sika and Swatch Group ended lower by 0.6 to 1.1%.

In economic news, a report from the European Commission said the economic sentiment indicator (ESI) in the Euro Area fell to 93.6 in April 2025, down from a revised 95.0 in March and below market expectations of 94.5. This marked the lowest reading since December.. Consumer sentiment dropped sharply (-16.7 vs. -14.5 in March).

On the pricing front, consumer inflation expectations surged by 5.1 points to 29.6, their highest level since November 2022, while manufacturers' selling price expectations edged down by 0.3 points to 11.0, easing from March's two-year high.

BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks closed broadly higher on Tuesday with investors reacting to a spate of corporate earnings announcements, and continuing to assess the U.S. Government's trade policy.

Reports that the U.S. President has proposed lower tariffs on auto parts for U.S.-produced vehicles helped keep investor sentiment positive.

The pan European Stoxx 600 gained 0.36%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed 0.55% and Germany's DAX closed 0.69% up. France's CAC 40 drifted down 0.24%, while Switzerland's SMI gained 0.32%.

Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Portugal ended higher.

Czech Republic, Iceland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkiye cloed weak.

In the UK market, HSBC Holdings climbed about 2.65% as it launched a $3 billion share buyback despite an increasingly fragile geopolitical backdrop.

In its first quarter, profit before tax decreased to $9.48 billion from last year's $12.65 billion, primarily due to the non-recurrence of $3.7 billion in net impacts last year relating to the disposals of banking business in Canada and business in Argentina.

Howden Joinery climbed 4.6%. Entain, BAE Systems, Kingfisher, Standard Chartered, RightMove, JD Sports Fashion and Tesco gained 2.2 to 3.3%. Natwest Group, Easyjet, Reckitt Benckiser, GSK and Croda International also moved up sharply.

AstraZeneca gained nearly 1%.The company reported lower than expected earnings. Looking ahead, for fiscal 2025, AstraZeneca continues to expect total revenue to increase by a high single-digit percentage and core earnings per share to grow in a low double-digit percentage.

In its first quarter, profit before tax climbed 21% to $3.40 billion from last year's $2.80 billion. Profit after tax grew 34 percent to $2.92 billion from $2.18 billion in the prior year. Earnings per share were $1.88, up from $1.41 a year ago.

Associated British Foods tanked more than 9% after reporting that its profit before taxation for the 24 weeks ended 1 March 2025 declined to 692 million pounds from 881 million pounds last year.

BP ended nearly 2.5% down. BP reported profit before tax of $3.13 billion for the first quarter, lower than $4.633 billion in the same quarter a year ago, primarily due to decrease in revenues. Net profit declined to $687 million or 4.27 cents per share from $2.263 billion or 13.25 cents per share last year.

In the German market, Rheinmetall climbed nearly 8% after the auto and defense firm's first-quarter sales beat expectations.

Symrise gained more than 3.5% after the company said it expects to grow above the anticipated annual market growth rate of approximately 3% to 4%. The company continues to expect an organic growth of 5 to 7%, on EBITDA margin of around 21% and a business free cash flow of around 14% in fiscal 2025.

Deutsche Bank gained about 5%. Net profit attributable to Deutsche Bank shareholders for the quarter was 1.78 billion euros, up 39% from 1.28 billion euros last year.

MTU Aero Engines, Siemens Energy, SAP, Brenntag, Daimler Truck Holding and Commerzbank closed notably higher.

HelloFresh gained more than 5%. The meal-kit maker recorded adjusted EBITDA of 58.1 million euros for the first-qiarter, higher than 16.8 million euros, recorded for the same period last year.

Sportswear maker Adidas reported that its net income attributable to shareholders for the first quarter of 2025 climbed to 428 million euros or 2.40 euros per share from 170 million euros or 0.95 euros per share last year. However, the stock ended down more than 3% as the company held back from raising its 2025 financial forecasts, citing tariff uncertainty.

Porsche iclosed lower by 4% after the company cut its forecast for the financial year 2025 due to special effects. For the financial year 2025, the company now expects sales revenue to be between 37 billion euros and 38 billion euros, compared to the previous forecast of 39 billion euros to 40 billion euros. The return on sales is projected to be between 6.5% and 8.5%, down from the earlier forecast of 10% to 12%.

Lufthansa shares closed down by about 4.5% after the group reported that its net loss attributable to shareholders for the first quarter of 2025 widened to 885 million euros or 0.74 euros per share from 734 million euros or 0.61 euros per share last year.

In the French market, Schneider Electric drifted down more than 6% as the electrical equipment maker cut its 2025 implied core profit margin outlook, citing foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

Capgemini rallied nearly 6%. The technology company posted higher revenues in the first quarter of 2025, helped by good performances in the North America, United Kingdom and Ireland regions. The company also reiterated its outlook for the year ahead.

Societe Generale, Dassault Systemes, L'Oreal, Engie, Eurofins Scientific, Thales, Saint-Gobain, Vinci and Unibail Rodamco closed notably higher.

On the economic front, German consumer confidence is set to continue its recovery in May as trade tariff hikes by the US administration had a limited impact, a closely watched survey showed.

The forward-looking consumer sentiment index improved unexpectedly to -20.6 in May from revised -24.3 in the previous month, a survey jointly published by the market research group GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions showed. The score was expected to fall to -25.6.

A report from the European Commission said the economic sentiment indicator (ESI) in the Euro Area fell to 93.6 in April 2025, down from a revised 95.0 in March and below market expectations of 94.5. This marked the lowest reading since December.. Consumer sentiment dropped sharply (-16.7 vs. -14.5 in March).

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Stocks have shown a lack of direction over the course of the trading day on Tuesday, with the major averages bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line after ending yesterday's volatile session little changed.

Currently, the major averages are posting modest gains. The Dow is up 179.95 points or 0.5 percent at 40,407.54, the Nasdaq is up 11.59 points or 0.7 percent at 17,377.72 and the S&P 500 is up 6.87 points or 0.1 percent at 5,535.62.

The lackluster performance on Wall Street comes as traders remain reluctant to make significant moves ahead of the release of key earnings and economic news in the coming days.

Four of the 'Magnificent Seven' companies - Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) - are among the companies due to report their quarterly results this week.

Big-name companies like Visa (V), Eli Lilly (LLY), Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are also due to report their quarterly results.

The Labor Department's monthly jobs report is also likely to be in focus later this week along with the Federal Reserve's preferred readings on consumer price inflation.

Among individual stocks, shares of Honeywell (HON) have surged by 5.6 percent after the conglomerate reported first quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE) has also jumped by 2.5 percent after reporting better than expected first quarter earnings and maintaining its full-year guidance.

Meanwhile, shares of General Motors (GM) have slumped by 2.0 percent after the auto giant reported first quarter results that beat expectations but withdrew its full-year guidance and suspended additional stock buybacks.

On the U.S. economic front, the Conference Board released a report showing its U.S. consumer confidence index slumped by more than expected in the month of April.

The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index plunged to 86.0 in April from an upwardly revised 93.9 in March.

Economists had expected the consumer confidence index to tumble to 87.5 from the 92.9 originally reported for the previous month.

Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist, Global Indicators at The Conference Board, noted the steep drop dragged the consumer confidence index down to levels not seen since the onset of the COVID pandemic.

Sector News

Reflecting the lackluster performance by the broader markets, most of the major sectors are showing only modest moves on the day.

Gold stocks have shown a notable move to the downside, however, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index falling by 1.4 percent amid a decrease by the price of the precious metal.

Housing and semiconductor stocks are also seeing weakness on the day, while pharmaceutical and software stocks have moved to the upside.

Other Markets

The major European markets have also turned mixed on the day. While the French CAC 40 Index is down by 0.3 percent, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index is up by 0.3 percent and the German DAX Index is up by 0.5 percent.

In the bond market, treasuries are extending the upward trend seen over the past several sessions. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, is down by 2.3 basis points at 4.193 percent.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - SIG plc (SHI.L), a supplier of specialist insulation and building products, reported Wednesday that its first-quarter reported revenues were 1 percent lower than last year, while like-for-like revenues increased.

The company said its trading in April 2025 to date has continued in line with the trends seen in the first quarter.

In its trading update, ahead of its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, the company reported revenues of 636 million pounds in the quarter. SIG noted that weak revenues reflected an impact of 2 percent in aggregate from working days and exchange rates, as well as a 1 percent impact from branch closures over the last year.

Group like-for-like or LFL sales growth was 2 percent in the quarter, reflecting continued market outperformance, combined with some further stabilisation of market demand. LFL volumes in the quarter were up 3 percent.

All geographies reported positive LFL growth, excluding France. UK revenues were 283 million pounds, up 4 percent on LFL basis from last year.

EU revenues were flat at 353 million pounds as weakness in France offset growth in other regions.

Looking ahead, SIG said its fiscal 2025 outlook remains unchanged as market conditions to date are as expected.

The company said, 'We continue to believe that, to the extent there is the start of a recovery within 2025, it is more likely to drive demand in the second half of the year.'

The company plans to publish its first-half results on August 5.

On the London Stock Exchange, SIG shares were losing around 0.4 percent to trade at 14.35 pence.

MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Repsol reported that its first quarter net income to parent declined to 366 million euros from 969 million euros, last year. Earnings per share was 0.30 euros compared to 0.79 euros. Adjusted income was 651 million euros compared to 1.27 billion euros. Revenue from ordinary activities was 14.95 billion euros compared to 15.69 billion euros.

Josu Jon Imaz, CEO, said: 'Albeit a fast-evolving and uncertain macro landscape, based on the visibility that we have today, the guidance for the year remains unchanged. Even under a stressed scenario, Repsol will be able to maintain a solid financial position and its shareholder distribution in 2025'.

For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.

TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - East Japan Railway Co. (EJPRF.PK) reported Wednesday higher profit and operating revenues in fiscal 2025.

In the year, profit attributable to owners of parent was 224.29 billion yen, an increase of 14.2 percent from last year's 196.45 billion yen. Basic earnings per share were 198.29 yen, compared to 173.82 yen a year ago.

Operating income grew 9.2 percent year-over-year to 376.79 billion yen.

Operatng revenues were 2.89 trillion yen, up 5.8 percent from prior year's 2.73 trillion yen.

Looking ahead, for fiscal 2026, the company expects attributable profit of 227 billion yen or basic earnings per share of 200.66 yen, an year-over-year growth of 1.2 percent. Operating income would grow 2.7 percent from last year to 387 billion yen, and operating revenues would rise 4.7 percent to 3.02 trillion yen.

Further, JR East plans to pay year-end cash dividends of 34 yen per share, for full-year cash dividends of 60 yen per share. The payment is scheduled to begin on June 23.

For the next fiscal year, JR East plans to pay full-year cash dividends of 62 yen per share, including interim cash dividends of 31 yen per share, based on its earnings outlook and other factors.

For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.

BILBAO (dpa-AFX) - Iberdrola Group reported first quarter net profit of 2.00 billion euros, down 27.4% from a year ago. EBITDA was 4.64 billion euros, down 20.7%. Excluding the capital gains from the divestment of thermal generation assets in the first quarter of 2024, net profit increased by 26% and EBITDA increased by 12%. Funds from operations, or FFO grew by 11% to 3.50 billion euros.

First quarter revenues were 12.86 billion euros, an increase of 1.5% from previous year.

The company continues to project a double-digit increase in full year net profit.

For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - B&M European Value Retail S.A. (BME.L), a variety goods retailer, said on Wednesday that Mike Schmidt has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer or CEO, alongside his existing responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer.

This comes in the backdrop of current CEO Alex Russo stepping down from his role as CEO and as a director of the company, effective April 30.

The company said it is on the look out for a permanent successor.

In its latest quarter, B&M European Value Retail reported an increase in revenue for the full year, with revenue growth from new store performance and positive like-for-like sales in France.

For the 12-month period to March 29, the company registered revenue of 5.6 billion pounds, up 3.7 percent from the previous year.

BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Air China Limited (AIRC.L, AIRYY.PK) reported Wednesday wider net loss in its first quarter with slightly lower revenues.

In the first quarter, net loss attributable to shareholders was RMB 2.04 billion, compared to last year's loss of RMB 1.67 billion.

Loss per share was RMB 0.12, wider than loss of RMB 0.11 a year ago.

Total loss before tax was RMB 2.45 billion, compared to loss of RMB 1.93 billion in the prior year.

Revenue for the period edged down to RMB 40.023 billion from RMB 40.066 billion last year.

In Shanghai, Air China shares closed Wednesday's trading at 7.07 yuan, down 1.94%.

For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Aberdeen Group plc released an update on its first quarter assets under management and administration (AUMA).

Assets under management and administration or AUMA stood at 500.1 billion pounds, impacted by weaker market conditions. However, robust inflows of 1.6 billion pounds were recorded at interactive investor, which partially offset net outflows in the Investments and Adviser segments.

Interactive investor demonstrated strong organic growth, with a 9% year-on-year increase in total customers, reaching 450,000. Additionally, SIPP customers rose by 29% year-on-year, totaling 88,000.

Last month, the company set out its ambition to be the UK's leading Wealth & Investments group, and it is committed to the fiscal year 2026 targets of adjusted operating profit above 300 million pounds, and net capital generation of about 300 million pounds.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Aston Martin Lagonda Global posted a first quarter loss before tax of 79.6 million pounds compared to a loss of 138.8 million pounds, last year. Adjusted EBIT was negative at 65 million pounds compared to a negative adjusted EBIT of 57 million pounds, prior year. Adjusted loss before tax was 79.8 million pounds compared to a loss of 110.5 million pounds. Revenue was 233.9 million pounds, down 13%.

Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin Chief Executive said: 'As guided, first quarter wholesale volumes were in line with the prior year and retail volumes materially outpaced wholesales, reflecting our disciplined approach to production and stock optimisation. We are carefully monitoring the evolving U.S. tariff situation and are currently limiting imports to the U.S. while leveraging the stock held by our U.S. dealers.'

The Group's key financial targets for the year, being positive adjusted EBIT for the full year and free cash flow generation in second half, are unchanged.

For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Spectris plc (SEPJF.PK), a supplier of precision instrumentation and controls, Wednesday reported sales of 299 million pounds for the first quarter, lower than 309.4 million pounds in the same quarter a year ago.

On a like-for-like basis, sales decreased 8%, driven by weakness in automotive, semiconductor and materials, with decline in sales across all regions.

Looking ahead, Andrew Heath, Chief Executive said, 'While the indirect tariff impact on end market demand is unclear at this early stage, we expect to be able to mitigate the direct impact of tariffs, supported by our strong, differentiated market positions, the importance of Spectris' products to our customers, and the Group's global operational footprint.'

BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Uxin Limited (UXIN) announced Loss for full year of -RMB2.130 billion

The company's earnings came in at -RMB2.130 billion, or -RMB0.05 per share. This compares with -RMB586.63 million, or -RMB0.41 per share, last year.

The company's revenue for the period rose 29.7% to RMB1.814 billion from RMB1.399 billion last year.

Uxin Limited earnings at a glance (GAAP) :

-Earnings: -RMB2.130 Bln. vs. -RMB586.63 Mln. last year.

-EPS: -RMB0.05 vs. -RMB0.41 last year.

-Revenue: RMB1.814 Bln vs. RMB1.399 Bln last year.

ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italy's economy expanded for the second straight quarter in the three months ending in March, and at a faster-than-expected pace, preliminary data from the statistical office ISTAT showed on Wednesday.

Gross domestic product rose 0.3 percent sequentially in the first quarter, following a 0.2 percent rise in the second quarter. Meanwhile, economists had expected the growth to remain stable at 0.2 percent.

On the production side, there was an increase of value added in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and industry, while services showed a stagnant change.

The expenditure breakdown showed that the domestic component contributed positively, but the export component side was negative due to an unfavorable net export component.

The annual growth in GDP accelerated slightly to 0.6 percent from 0.5 percent in the previous quarter.

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The German economy recovered in the first quarter driven by higher private consumption and investment, flash data from Destatis revealed on Wednesday.

Gross domestic product grew 0.2 percent sequentially, offsetting the 0.2 percent fall in the preceding quarter. The rate also matched economists' expectations.

The calendar-adjusted GDP posted an annual fall of 0.2 percent, as seen in the fourth quarter of 2024 and also came in line with forecast.

On a price-adjusted basis, GDP declined at a steady annual pace of 0.4 percent in the first quarter. Destatis is slated to publish detailed results for the first quarter on May 23.

The unemployment rate in Germany rose slightly in April, the Federal Employment Agency said today. The jobless rate rose to 6.3 percent from 6.2 percent in March.

The number of people out of work increased 4,000 from the previous month, which was smaller than economists' forecast of 16,000. In March, unemployment had increased by 25,000.

The spring recovery remains comparatively weak in April, Andrea Nahles, the head of the Federal Employment Agency said.

Based on the labor force survey, Destatis reported that the jobless rate remained unchanged at seasonally adjusted 3.5 percent in March. There were 1.58 million unemployed people in March, down 2,000 from the previous month.

BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - A measure signaling future turning points in the Swiss economy worsened in April, indicating that the outlook for the economy is considerably subdued, the results of a survey by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute showed Wednesday.

The economic barometer dropped to 97.1 in April from a downwardly revised 103.2 in March.

'After an increase in the previous month, it now drops below its medium-term average for the first time this year,' the KOF said.

Among components, the indicator bundle for manufacturing experienced a strong setback, and those for services and hospitality were under downward pressure.

Within the producing industry, the sub-indicators for different aspects of business activity all show negative developments, including exports, production activity, and the competitive situation.

Considering the manufacturing side alone, the indicators for vehicle and also machinery and equipment manufacturers, for paper and printing producers, as well as for the electrical industry, are slowing down, most noticeably in April.

AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - The Dutch economy expanded for the fourth straight quarter in the three months ending in March, though at a slower pace, preliminary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday.

Gross domestic product rose 0.1 percent sequentially in the first quarter, following a 0.3 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The overall growth in the March quarter was due to a smaller reduction in inventories along with a slightly positive contribution from government consumption, the agency said.

On the expenditure side, government consumption grew 0.5 percent, led by more spending on healthcare and the rise in the number of civil servants.

Meanwhile, household consumption dropped 0.2 percent, and investments in fixed assets dropped by 2.2 percent. Both exports and imports declined by 0.8 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

The annual growth in GDP improved somewhat to 2.0 percent from 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter.

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's retail sales declined in March albeit at a slower than expected pace, preliminary data from Destatis showed on Wednesday.

Retail sales fell 0.2 percent on a monthly basis in March but reversed a 0.2 percent rise in February. Sales were expected to decline 0.4 percent.

Food sales grew 0.3 percent from a month ago, while non-food sales decreased 0.6 percent.

In e-commerce and mail order, sales registered an increase of 0.6 percent compared to the previous month.

Year-on-year, retail sales growth slowed to 2.2 percent in March from 4.3 percent in the previous month.

LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK house price declined more than expected in April following the end of stamp duty holidays, data from the Nationwide Building Society showed Wednesday.

House prices logged a monthly drop of 0.6 percent after remaining flat in March. The decline was worse than economists' forecast of 0.1 percent.

On a yearly basis, house price growth eased to 3.4 percent from 3.9 percent in the previous month. The expected rate of decline was 4.1 percent.

Early indications suggested that there was a significant jump in transactions in March, with buyers bringing forward their purchases to avoid additional tax obligations, Nationwide Chief Economist Robert Gardner said.

Although the market is set to remain a little soft in the coming months after the end of stamp duty holidays, activity is likely to pick up steadily as summer progresses, Gardner observed.

Despite wider economic uncertainties in the global economy, underlying conditions for potential home buyers in the UK remain supportive, said Gardner.

'Unemployment remains low, earnings are rising at a healthy pace in real terms (i.e. after accounting for inflation), household balance sheets are strong and borrowing costs are likely to moderate a little if Bank Rate is lowered further in the coming quarters as we and most other analysts expect,' the economist added.

NEWS

Real-time and near-time news

ANALYSIS

Stock analysis as news feed

VIDEO

Range of services

Newsticker

30.04.2025 Asian Shares Mixed As China's Factory Activity Contracts

30.04.2025 European Shares May Struggle For Direction At Open

30.04.2025 Asian Markets Trade Mixed

30.04.2025 Japanese Market Slightly Higher

30.04.2025 China Bourse Poised To End Losing Streak

30.04.2025 Japan Market May Crack Resistance At 36,000 Points

29.04.2025 U.S. Stocks Move Mostly Higher On Optimism About Trade Deals

29.04.2025 Swiss Market Closes Modestly Higher

29.04.2025 European Stocks Close Broadly Higher As Investors React To Earnings

29.04.2025 U.S. Stocks Turning In Another Lackluster Performance

30.04.2025 SIG Q1 Revenues Down, LFL Revenues Rise; Maintains FY25 View

30.04.2025 Repsol Q1 Net Income Declines; FY Guidance Remains Unchanged

30.04.2025 East Japan Railway FY25 Results Climb; Sees Growth In FY26; Plans Dividend

30.04.2025 Iberdrola Q1 Net Profit Up 26% In LFL Terms; Reaffirms FY Forecasts

30.04.2025 B&M European Value Retail Names Mike Schmidt Interim CEO

30.04.2025 Air China Q1 Loss Widens, Revenue Edges Down

30.04.2025 Aberdeen Group Reports GBP 500.1 Bln Q1 AUMA Amid Market Challenges

30.04.2025 Aston Martin Lagonda Global Posts Narrower Loss In Q1; FY25 Guidance Remains Unchanged

30.04.2025 Spectris Q1 LFL Sales Down 8%

30.04.2025 Uxin Limited Full Year Sales Increase

30.04.2025 Italian GDP Grows 0.3% In Q1

30.04.2025 German Economy Recovers On Spending, Investment

30.04.2025 Swiss KOF Leading Indicator Weakens Sharply In April

30.04.2025 MNI: GERMANY NRW APR CPI +0.4% M/M, +1.8% Y/Y

30.04.2025 GERMANY APR UE NET CHANGE (SA) +4K; MAR +25K

30.04.2025 GERMANY MAR UE TOTAL (SA) 2.922 MN; MAR 2.918 MN

30.04.2025 MNI: GERMANY APR UE RATE (SA) 6.3% (FCST 6.3%); MAR 6.2%

30.04.2025 Dutch Economic Growth Eases Further In Q1

30.04.2025 German Retail Sales Fall Less Than Forecast

30.04.2025 UK House Prices Fall More Than Expected