Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Slips On Auto Tariff Worries, Gold Advances Toward Record High - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Wednesday, March 26, U.S. markets closed lower, led by steep drops in Nvidia and Tesla, as investors braced for U.S. tariffs on auto imports. Fears of rising prices and global retaliation hit chipmakers and automakers. Durable goods orders rose unexpectedly, while Barclays cut its S&P 500 target. GameStop soared 12% on bitcoin news; Dollar Tree gained on divestiture plans.

In economic data, in February, U.S. orders for manufactured durable goods increased by 0.9% from the previous month, reaching $289.3 billion.

Most S&P 500 sectors fell, led by losses in consumer discretionary, communication services, and tech, while utilities and consumer staples edged higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by 0.31% at 42,587.50, the S&P 500 slid 1.12% to 5,712.20, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.04% to 17,899.02.

Asia Markets Today

• On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed the session lower by 0.71% at 37,755.50, led by losses in the Shipbuilding, Manufacturing, and Services sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.38% and closed at 7,969.00, led by losses in the A-REITs, IT, and Consumer Discretionary sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.41% to 23,583.70, and Nifty 500 was up 0.67% at 21,419.70.
• China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.15% to 3,373.75, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose   0.33% to 3,932.41.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.41%, ending the session at 23,578.80.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was down 0.938%.
• Germany’s DAX declined 0.65%.
• France’s CAC slid 0.30%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 0.63%.
• European stocks fell as Trump announced 25% tariffs on imported autos, sparking trade war fears.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.39% at $69.38/bbl, and Brent was down 0.36% at $72.80/bbl.
• Oil prices held steady as markets weighed U.S. tariffs and global supply concerns. Venezuela sanctions, falling inventories, and auto tariffs act as key factors influencing future oil price direction.
• Natural Gas fell 2.92% to $3.759.
• Gold was trading higher by 0.83% at $3,077.64, Silver was up 0.56% to $34.413, and Copper slid 0.27% to $5.2285.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

• Dow futures were up 0.23%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.12%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.03%.
• Wall Street futures were flat as Trump’s 25% auto tariffs fueled trade tension. Auto stocks slid, investor caution rose ahead of April 2 tariffs, and key inflation data is expected Friday.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index slid 0.07% to 104.48, USD/JPY was up 0.23% to 150.94, and USD/AUD declined 0.13% to 1.5856.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock