Nikada
Japan (NKY:IND) -1.32%. Japan’s trade balance swings to surplus in March as exports surge. Exports from Japan rose by 7.3% yoy to a 3-month peak of JPY 9,469.60 billion in March 2024. Imports to Japan shrank by 4.9% yoy to JPY 9,103.13 billion in March 2024.
The Reuters Tankan sentiment index for manufacturers in Japan fell slightly to +9 in April 2024 from +10 in March.
China (SHCOMP) +1.85%.
Hong Kong (HSI) -0.42%.
India (SENSEX) -0.62%.
Australia (AS51) -0.09%. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Leading Economic Index in Australia edged down 0.1% month-over-month in March 2024, swinging from a 0.1% rise in the prior month.
In the U.S. on Tuesday, all three major indexes ended mixed as investors reacted to another batch of corporate quarterly results and US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s latest remarks, where he indicated that policymakers are in no rush to cut interest rates. He said that there has been “a lack of further progress so far this year on returning to our inflation goal.”
Also, investors remained vigilant amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East after Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel over the weekend.
U.S. stock futures were mixed on Wednesday as the first quarter earnings season kicks into high gear this week: Dow +0.02%; S&P 500 -0.08%; Nasdaq -0.22%.
Currencies: (JPY:USD), (CNY:USD), (AUD:USD), (INR:USD), (HKD:USD), (NZD:USD).
