Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Gains, While Crude Oil Nears $75 - Global Market Overview While The US Slept

On Wednesday, February 7th, U.S. stock markets ended higher, with the S&P 500 reaching a new all-time high, driven by robust U.S. earnings reports.

In economic data, the U.S. trade deficit was reported at $62.2 billion for December, compared to a revised figure of $61.9 billion for the deficit in November.

Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sectors posted gains, led by technology and followed closely by consumer discretionary, while the consumer staples sector experienced a minor decline.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.40% and closed at 38,677.36, the S&P 500 rose 0.82% to 4,995.06, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.95%, ending the session at 15,756.64.

Asian Markets Today

• On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closed the session higher by 2.09% at 36,863.28, led by gains in the Shipbuilding, Mining, Automobiles & Parts sectors.
• Japan’s Nikkei 225 soared to its highest close in 34 years on Thursday, jumping over 2%, following indications from a senior Bank of Japan official that any policy tightening would be gradual.
• In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.31% and closed at 7,639.20, led by gains in the IT, utilities, and financial sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 closed lower by 0.97% at 21,717.95, and the Nifty 500 slid 0.61% to 19,987.55. 
• China’s Shanghai Composite climbed 1.28% to 2,865.90, and the Shenzhen CSI 300 gained 0.64%, closing at 3,364.93.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slid 1.27%, concluding the day at 15,878.07.
• Asian stocks, led by Japan’s Nikkei 225, mostly gained on Thursday, buoyed by SoftBank and tech. However, disappointing inflation data in China curbed a market rebound, underscoring economic challenges and affecting consumer spending and stock recovery efforts.

Eurozone at 06:15 AM ET

• The European STOXX 600 index was up 0.05%.
• Germany’s DAX gained 0.07%.
• France’s CAC rose 0.46%.
• U.K’s FTSE 100 traded lower by 0.12%.

Commodities at 06:15 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.83% at $74.48/bbl, and Brent was up 0.91% at $79.94/bbl.
• Natural Gas gained 0.92% to $1.985.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.21% at $2,047.30, Silver rose 0.35% to $22.442, while Copper slipped 0.02% to $3.7348.

US Futures at 06:15 AM ET       

Dow futures were down 0.07%, S&P 500 futures slid 0.10%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures declined 0.03%.

Forex at 06:15 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index was up 0.11% to 104.17, USD/JPY gained 0.66% to 149.16, and AUD/USD climbed 0.30% to 1.5383.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash