Asia Markets Down, Europe Advances, Gold Holds Steady - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Tuesday, March 11, U.S. markets closed lower, extending steep losses amid escalating tariff threats from President Trump, which fueled concerns over a global economic slowdown.

The S&P 500 briefly entered correction territory, down 10% from recent highs. Volatility was driven by mixed trade signals and geopolitical developments, including a potential Ukraine-Russia ceasefire and suspended Canadian energy surcharges.

In economic data, U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose by 232,000 to 7.74 million in January, up from a revised 7.51 million in December and surpassing the forecast of 7.63 million—signaling continued labor market strength amid broader economic uncertainty.

All 11 major S&P sectors ended in the red, though technology and consumer discretionary—this year’s weakest performers—recorded the most modest losses.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.14% to close at 41,433.48, the S&P 500 declined 0.76% to 5,572.07, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.18% to 17,436.10.

Asia Markets Today

• On Wednesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.03% to 36,782.50, led by gains in the Power, Rubber, Chemical, Petroleum, and plastic sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 1.32%, closing at 7,786.20, led by losses in the Consumer Discretionary, Industrials and Financials sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 was down 0.16% at 22,462.00, and the Nifty 500 slid 0.24% to 20,255.50.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.23% to 3,371.92, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 0.36% to 3,927.23.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.76%, ending the session at 23,600.31.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 1.13%.
• Germany’s DAX gained 1.55%.
• France’s CAC rose 1.14%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.55%
• European stocks rose as the EU announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. Sentiment was boosted by Ukraine ceasefire talks, a steady euro, and rising oil prices despite ongoing trade tensions.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.68% at $66.70/bbl, and Brent was up 0.63% at $70.00/bbl.
• Oil prices edged higher Wednesday on a weaker dollar, though gains were capped by U.S. slowdown fears and tariff concerns.
• Natural Gas declined 2.76% to $4.330.
• Gold was trading higher by 0.06% at $2,922.21, Silver was up 0.94% to $33.458, and Copper gained 1.16% to $4.4215.
• Gold held steady as investors awaited U.S. inflation data and weighed trade tensions. Trump’s metal tariffs took effect, but a proposed hike on Canadian imports was dropped. Copper rose on China stimulus hopes.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.38%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.56% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.68%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

The U.S. dollar index gained 0.15% to 103.55, the USD/JPY rose 0.57% to 148.61, and the USD/AUD gained 0.15% to 1.5901.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock