FX.co ★ Hang Seng Rises Slightly at Finish

On Monday, the Hang Seng experienced a rise of 58 points, or 0.2%, closing at 26,447. This marks the index's second consecutive gain, buoyed by an increase in U.S. futures in anticipation of a possible interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve later this week. While a 25 basis points reduction is widely expected, President Trump has advocated for a more substantial cut, describing the current timing as "ideal." The Hong Kong market remained close to a four-year peak, bolstered by the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations currently underway in Madrid. Despite this, the market's upward movement was somewhat restrained by disappointing economic indicators from China in August, including subpar performance in factory output, retail sales, credit, exports, and fixed asset investment. The technology sector led the charge, appreciating nearly 1%, following Beijing's initiation of anti-discrimination and anti-dumping investigations into U.S. semiconductor products. Alibaba saw a 2.6% increase on optimistic sector sentiment, while Meituan rose by 1% after downsizing its community group-buying segment. Among other significant gainers were Wuxi Biologics, up 6.4%; Li Auto, which rose 4.5%; Nongfu Spring with a 4.1% gain; CK Infrastructure, up by 2.4%; and Xiaomi, appreciating by 2.0%.