Dow Jones Top Markets Headlines at 7 AM ET: Hong Kong Stocks Log Best Year Since 2017 as AI Boom Fuels Tech Rally | China's ...

Hong Kong Stocks Log Best Year Since 2017 as AI Boom Fuels Tech Rally

Hong Kong stocks ended 2025 with a second consecutive annual gain, posting their best performance since 2017 in percentage terms, thanks to a tech rally fueled by artificial intelligence.

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China's Factory Activity Gauges Signal Return to Growth

China's factory activity signaled a return to growth in December, according to both official and private surveys, an improvement likely to help Beijing achieve its growth target for the year.

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China's 'Invisible' Stimulus Is Here. Why It's Easy to Miss.

Beijing is quietly channeling support through local governments, state firms, and targeted subsidies-stabilizing growth without shock-and-awe.

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2026 Is a Make-or-Break Year for the AI Trade

There are many things that can upend the AI data center trade. Chief among them is power supply.

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Fed Minutes Suggest Caution About Further Cuts Early Next Year

At the December meeting, some officials backed holding rates steady "for some time."

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Chicago Fed Estimates Flat December Unemployment Rate

An estimate by the Chicago Fed forecasts that unemployment held steady in December at 4.6%, the reserve bank said.

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South Korea Inflation Eases in December; Averages 2.1% in 2025

The consumer price index rose 2.3% from a year earlier in December, compared with 2.4% in November, the national statistics office said.

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BLS Defends Housing Calculations in November Inflation Report

The agency argued that it had no better way to handle a challenging patchwork of missing data caused by the recent government shutdown.

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U.S. Home Prices Keep Slow Growth Pace

S&P Cotality Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose 1.4% in 12 months through October, compared with a 1.3% rise in September. This represents weakest performance since mid-2023.

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Chicago Business Barometer Rebounds in December But Remains at Contraction Level

The employment measurement was 43.5, up 7.2 points from November and higher than economists expected.

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IPOs This Year Were Too Meager to Resolve the VC Liquidity Crisis

Venture capital-backed companies raised more funding via initial public offerings in 2025 than in the year prior, but the volume and performance of new listings disappointed VC investors.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 31, 2025 07:15 ET (12:15 GMT)