Big News Network.com
24 Jul 2025, 01:45 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rose sharply Wednesday as investors and traders started to come round to the benefits of recent trade deals secured by President Trump. Following the trade deal negotiated with the Philippines earlier in the week, Trump on Wednesday announced what he called a "massive" trade deal with Japan,.
"So far, the tariff strategy Trump is pursuing looks very inspired, generating serious income, resulting in major investments in the U.S. to avoid the tariffs, and has yet to cause the disruptions and inflation that the naysayers said were certain," Louis Navellier, founder and chief investment officer at Navellier & Associates told CNBC Wednesday. "The stock market certainly reflects no fear of negative consequences."
The Wall Street rally on Wednesday, saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging more than 500 points as strong corporate earnings and easing inflation concerns boosted investor sentiment. The Standard and Poor's 500 and Nasdaq Composite also posted solid gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) led the charge, climbing 507.85 points or 1.14 percent to close at 45,010.29, marking its best day in three weeks. The blue-chip index was lifted by gains in financial and industrial stocks.
The Standard and Poor's 500 (^GSPC), a broader measure of U.S. equities, advanced 49.33 points or 0.78 percent to finish at 6,358.95, with all 11 sectors ending in positive territory.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose 127.33 points or 0.61 percent to 21,020.02, supported by rebounds in major tech names.
Analysts attributed Wednesday's bullish momentum to:
Strong Q2 earnings from several Dow components
Fresh economic data showing cooling inflation
Renewed optimism about potential Federal Reserve rate cuts later this year
Global Forex Markets Show Mixed Movements Wednesday as Euro and Pound Gain Against the Dollar
The foreign exchange market saw mixed trading on Wednesday, with the euro and British pound strengthening against the US dollar, while the yen and Canadian dollar weakened slightly.
The euro (EUR/USD) rose 0.16 percent, trading at 1.1772, as investors weighed the latest economic data from the Eurozone. Meanwhile, the British pound (GBP/USD) climbed 0.40 percent to 1.3579, supported by stronger-than-expected UK retail sales figures.
The U.S. dollar (USD/JPY) dipped 0.03 percent against the Japanese yen, settling at 146.54, as traders awaited further signals from the Sunday's election results. The greenback also edged lower against the Canadian dollar (USD/CAD), falling 0.06 percent to 1.3596, following a rebound in oil prices.
The Australian dollar (AUD/USD) surged 0.71 percent to 0.6599, its highest level in a week, boosted by rising commodity demand. Similarly, the New Zealand dollar (NZD/USD) gained 0.71 percent, reaching 0.6043, as risk appetite improved in Asian trading.
The Swiss franc (USD/CHF) saw minimal movement, with the dollar inching up 0.03 percent to 0.7920, as markets remained cautious.
Analysts attributed the euro and pound's gains to shifting expectations on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies, while commodity-linked currencies benefited from stronger global risk sentiment.
Global Markets Close Higher on Wednesday, Led by Strong Gains in Asia and Europe
Global stock markets mostly climbed higher on Wednesday, with major indices across Europe and Asia posting solid gains, while the Nikkei 225 surged more than 3 percent.
North of the U.S. border, the S&P/TSX Composite Index (^GSPTSE) in Toronto added 51.98 points or 0.19 percent to close at 27,416.41. The more muted performance reflected mixed movements in energy and materials stocks as commodity prices fluctuated.
The FTSE 100 (UK) rose 37.68 points, or 0.42 percent, closing at 9,061.49.
Meanwhile, Germany's DAX jumped 198.92 points, or 0.83 percent, to 24,240.82, and France's CAC 40 surged 106.02 points, or 1.37 percent, ending at 7,850.43.
The broader EURO STOXX 50 index gained 53.77 points, up 1.02 percent, settling at 5,344.25. Belgium's BEL 20 also climbed 48.81 points, a 1.07 percent increase, closing at 4,596.22.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 soared 1,396.40 points, or 3.51 percent, to 41,171.32, marking one of the strongest performances globally. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 408.04 points, or 1.62 percent, finishing at 25,538.07.
Singapore's STI Index edged up 23.02 points, or 0.55 percent, to 4,231.28, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 60.00 points, or 0.69 percent, closing at 8,737.20. The broader All Ordinaries index in Australia added 59.90 points, or 0.67 percent, ending at 9,001.40.
India's S&P BSE SENSEX climbed 539.83 points, or 0.66 percent, to 82,726.64, and Indonesia's IDX Composite surged 124.49 points, or 1.70 percent, to 7,469.23.
Malaysia's KLSE rose 10.39 points, or 0.68 percent, closing at 1,529.79.
In Taiwan', the TWSE Index advanced 330.75 points, or 1.44 percent, to 23,318.67, while South Korea's KOSPI gained 13.83 points, or 0.44 percent, ending at 3,183.77.
China's Shanghai Composite inched up just 0.44 points, or 0.01 percent, to 3,582.30.
In New Zealand the S&P/NZX 50 was one of the few decliners, slipping 39.68 points, or 0.31 percent, to 12,794.06.
Egypt's EGX 30 also dipped slightly, losing 4.50 points, or 0.01 percent, to 34,125.10.
Israel's TA-125 rose 36.36 points, or 1.17 percent, to 3,152.46.
South Africa's JN0U.JO gained 62.24 points, or 1.11 percent, closing at 5,661.38.
Related stories:
Tuesday 22 July 2025 | Dow Jones closes 179 points higher, S&P 500 hits new record high | Big News Network
Monday 21 July 2025 | Stocks hit new highs, record-breaking day on Wall Street | Big News Network
Get a daily dose of Africa Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Africa Leader.
More InformationWASHINGTON DC — Just weeks after expressing optimism that a ceasefire deal in Gaza was within reach, U.S. President Donald Trump has...
LONDON/LOS ANGELES: Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of the 1970s heavy metal band Black Sabbath, who shocked audiences by biting...
GENEVA, Switzerland: Health authorities are facing a resurgence of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, with new outbreaks emerging...
LONDON, U.K.: Junior doctors in England will walk off the job this week after last-ditch talks with the government failed to resolve...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has declared that Tehran will not abandon its uranium enrichment program,...
DHAKA, Bangladesh: At least 27 people have been killed and over 170 injured after a Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into the campus...
NEW DELHI/LONDON: India and the United Kingdom will sign a comprehensive free trade agreement on July 24 during Prime Minister Narendra...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets made solid ground Friday, sending all the key indices out with weekly gains. The Standard and...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: This week, President Donald Trump unveiled a new trade framework with Japan, announcing a 15 percent tariff on goods...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Amazon is making a fresh bet on artificial intelligence wearables by acquiring Bee, a San Francisco-based...
TOKYO/SEOUL: Japanese and South Korean automaker stocks rallied sharply on July 23 following news of a new U.S. trade agreement with...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were on the defensive Thursday. The Dow Jones index corrected its recent hefty gains, finishing with...