Geopolitical Tensions Weigh On Asia And Europe Markets, Gold Trades Near $2,400 - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Thursday, April 18, the U.S. stock markets closed with mixed results as investors digested the latest corporate earnings reports. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended in negative territory, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slightly increased.

Economic indicators and comments from Federal Reserve officials suggested that a reduction in interest rates by the central bank is unlikely in the near term.

According to economic data, U.S. initial jobless claims remained steady at 212,000 for the week ending April 18, below the anticipated 215,000. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index rose to 15.5 in April, surpassing expectations of 1.5.

Most S&P 500 sectors gained, especially communication services, utilities, and consumer staples, while technology and consumer discretionary sectors declined.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.06% to close at 37,775.38. The S&P 500 fell 0.22%, ending the day at 5,011.12, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.52%, finishing the session at 15,601.50.

Asian Markets Today

• On Friday, Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended the trading day lower by 2.53% at 37,090.50, led by losses in the Power, Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic and Mining sectors.
• Nikkei 225 saw its steepest weekly fall since June 2022 amid global stock sell-offs, sparked by U.S. interest rate concerns and Middle East tensions, which unnerved investors.
• In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.98% to finish at 7,567.30, led by losses in the IT, A-REITs and Metals & Mining sectors.
• India's Nifty 50 closed higher by 0.69% at 22,147.00, and the Nifty 500 rose 0.30%, closing at 20,385.20.
• China's Shanghai Composite slid 0.29% to end the session at 3,065.26, and the Shenzhen CSI 300 fell 0.79%, closing at 3,541.66.
• Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 0.99%, concluding the day at 16,224.14.

Eurozone at 06:00 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 index was down 0.44%.
• Germany's DAX declined 0.75%.
• France's CAC slipped 0.32%.
• U.K.'s FTSE 100 traded lower by 0.53%.

Commodities at 06:100AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.31% at $82.49/bbl, and Brent was down 0.47% at $86.70 bbl.
• Natural Gas was down 0.28% at $1.752.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.14% at $2,394.70, Silver declined 0.15% to $28.332, while Copper was up 1.10% at $4.4850.

US Futures at 06:00 AM ET            

Dow futures were down 0.29%, S&P 500 futures slid 0.35%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 0.59%.

Forex at 06:00 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index slid 0.13% to 106.03, USD/JPY was down 0.06% to 154.52, and USD/AUD gained 0.10% to 1.5588.

Global stocks fell, oil prices jumped, and U.S. bond yields dropped Friday after reports of an Israel attack on Iran underscored the Middle East's impact on markets.

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