Asia Market Slip, Europe Mixed, Gold Nears Record High - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Wednesday, March 12, U.S. markets ended mixed as softer-than-expected inflation data lifted hopes for Fed rate cuts, partially offsetting investor concerns over escalating trade tensions. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed higher, driven by tech stocks while growing tariff disputes under Trump continued to stoke recession fears and market volatility.

In economic data, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 2.8% year-over-year in February, down from 3%, beating expectations for a more modest decline to 2.9%. Core inflation also cooled more than anticipated, slipping from 3.3% to 3.1%.

Most S&P 500 sectors ended higher, led by gains in consumer discretionary, tech, and communication services. Consumer staples and health care lagged, closing lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.20% to close at 41,350.93, the S&P 500 rose 0.49% to 5,599.30, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.22% to 17,648.45.

Asia Markets Today

• On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.03% to 36,808.50, led by losses in the Shipbuilding, Manufacturing, and Services sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.48%, closing at 7,749.10, led by losses in the Consumer Staples, Consumer Discretionary and Financials sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 was down 0.39% at 22,382.90 and the Nifty 500 slid 0.51% to 20,160.95.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.39% to 3,358.73, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 0.40% to 3,911.58.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.58%, ending the session at 23,462.65.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.11%.
• Germany’s DAX declined 0.03%.
• France’s CAC rose 0.07%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.45%

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.52% at $67.32/bbl, and Brent was down 0.41% at $70.67/bbl.
• Oil prices held steady Thursday after a sharp rise on falling U.S. gasoline stocks. Strong demand outlook balanced recession fears, trade tensions, and rising OPEC+ output keeping markets uncertain.
• Natural Gas gained 0.02% to $4.086.
• Gold was trading higher by 0.34% at $2,956.74, Silver was down 0.31% to $33.635, and Copper fell 0.40% to $4.8300.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.06%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.12% and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.21%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index gained 0.11% to 103.69, USD/JPY was down 0.08% to 148.12, and USD/AUD gained 0.15% to 1.5903.

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