Hong Kong
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Asia-Pacific markets started the week higher after New York Fed President William Williams signaled the possibility of a third interest rate cut this year.
Williams suggested Friday that the Fed may lower its key interest rate because a weak labor market poses a bigger economic threat than rising inflation.
The Fed only has one more meeting left in 2025, which will be held in the continental United States on December 9th and 10th. The target interest rate is currently 3.75-4.00%.
Federal funds futures are priced in about 70% of the time, up from about 44% for the week ending Nov. 14, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Asian markets fell across the board last week as traders fled tech stocks, with heavyweights such as SoftBank, Samsung Electronics and Baidu falling.
Korean Kospi rose 1.56%, while the small-cap Kosdaq turned higher and fell slightly. Samsung rose more than 4.4%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.12%, rebounding from Friday’s 1.59% decline.
Monday, logistics group stocks cube Shares rose nearly 20% after Macquarie Asset Management made an A$11.6 billion ($7.49 billion) takeover bid for the company.
Mining giant BHP also rose around 0.4% after the company announced it was no longer considering a merger with British mining company Anglo American.
hong kong Hang Seng Index Mainland China’s CSI 300 index was just below flat, rising 1.41%, supported by tech and healthcare stocks.
Japanese markets are closed due to holidays.
In the US on Friday, all three major indexes rallied, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.08%, the Nasdaq Composite gaining 0.88% and the S&P 500 finishing up 0.98%.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
