Europe And Asia Markets Gain; Dollar Set For 7% Annual Gain - Global Markets Today While Us Slept

On Thursday, December 26, U.S. markets closed mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose slightly, marking its fifth straight gain despite light trading and higher Treasury yields. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq slipped, breaking recent streaks. Megacap tech stocks faced pressure, though Apple edged closer to a $4 trillion valuation. Seasonal trends and optimism around AI-driven profits continue to support year-end market hopes.

In economic data, U.S. initial jobless claims dropped by 1,000 in the second week of December, reaching 219,000, slightly below market expectations of 224,000.

S&P 500 sectors gained, led by healthcare, financial, and real estate stocks, while consumer discretionary and communication services declined.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.07% and closed at 43,325.80, the S&P 500 closed lower by 0.04% at 6,037.59, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.05% to finish at 20,020.36.

Asia Markets Today

• On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.77% and ended the session at 40,277.50, led by gains in the Shipbuilding, Automobiles & Parts, and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed higher by 0.50% at 8,261.80, led by gains in the Gold, Consumer Discretionary and Financials sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.35% to 23,832.45, and Nifty 500 was up 0.10%, closing at 22,453.25, led by gains in the Auto, IT, and Banking sectors.
• China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.06% to close at 3,400.14, while the Shenzhen CSI 300 slid 0.16%, finishing the day at 3,981.03.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed the session lower by 0.04% at 20,090.46.

Eurozone at 06:00 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.56%.
• Germany’s DAX rose 0.38%.
• France’s CAC gained 0.56%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 was trading higher by 0.08%.

Commodities at 06:00 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.86% at $70.23/bbl, and Brent was up 0.76% at $73.41/bbl.
• Oil prices edged higher, supported by expectations of a stimulus-driven economic recovery in China and declining U.S. crude inventories, but gains were limited by a stronger U.S. dollar.
• Natural Gas rose 2.98% to $3.418.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.48% at $2,641.16, Silver was down 0.80% to $30.340 and slid 0.28% to $4.1158.

U.S. Futures at 06:00 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.31%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.36%, and Nasdaq 100 futures slid 0.38%.

Forex at 06:00 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.06% to 108.07, USD/JPY fell 0.16% to 157.75, and USD/AUD rose 0.19% to 1.6101.
• The U.S. dollar is set for a 7% annual gain, driven by strong growth and cautious Federal Reserve rate cuts, while the yen and euro weakened amid diverging global monetary policies.

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