
Asian shares are mixed as Trump's tariff deadline looms, while US stocks set records
Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% to 39,762.20 after earlier gains, while South Korea's KOSPI index was down 1.2% to 3,078.31.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.6% to 23,914.44 while the Shanghai Composite index added 0.4% to 3,475.24. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.1% to 8,609.50. India's Sensex index was up 0.1% to 83,288.73.
'Asian markets slipped into Friday like someone entering a dark alley with one eye over their shoulder — because while US equities danced higher on a sweet spotted post-payroll sugar rush, the mood in Asia was far less celebratory. The reason? That familiar, twitchy unease every time Trump gets near the tariff trigger,' Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, wrote in a commentary.
On Thursday, after a report showed a U.S. job market stronger than Wall Street expected, the S&P 500 rose 0.8% and set an all-time high for the fourth time in five days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 344 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.
Many of Trump's stiff proposed taxes on imports are currently on pause, but they're scheduled to kick in next week unless Trump reaches deals with other countries to lower them.
In other dealings on Friday, U.S. benchmark crude was down 19 cents to $68.81 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, shed 30 cents to $68.50 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar slid to 144.48 Japanese yen from 144.92 yen. The euro edged higher to $1.1771 from $1.1761.
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AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.
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20 minutes ago
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
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It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away. So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Casey's General Stores with the means to add long-term value to shareholders. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Impressively, Casey's General Stores has grown EPS by 17% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming. Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. While we note Casey's General Stores achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 7.3% to US$16b. That's a real positive. In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image. Check out our latest analysis for Casey's General Stores Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Casey's General Stores' future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting. We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$19b company like Casey's General Stores. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth US$103m. We note that this amounts to 0.5% of the company, which may be small owing to the sheer size of Casey's General Stores but it's still worth mentioning. This should still be a great incentive for management to maximise shareholder value. It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Casey's General Stores, with market caps over US$8.0b, is about US$14m. Casey's General Stores offered total compensation worth US$11m to its CEO in the year to April 2024. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. You can't deny that Casey's General Stores has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If that's not enough, consider also that the CEO pay is quite reasonable, and insiders are well-invested alongside other shareholders. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to investing but it definitely makes Casey's General Stores look rather interesting indeed. Still, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Casey's General Stores. Although Casey's General Stores certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with more skin in the game, then check out this handpicked selection of companies that not only boast of strong growth but have strong insider backing. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio