Asia Mixed, Europe Markets Fall While Crude Rises On Middle East Tensions – Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Wednesday, October 2nd, U.S. markets closed slightly higher, as the S&P 500 ended flat. Technology stocks gained, driven by Nvidia, while concerns over Middle East tensions and upcoming U.S. labor data kept investors cautious. Tesla shares fell, and attention shifted to Friday’s key labor report.

In economic data, U.S. private businesses added 143,000 workers in September, surpassing August’s revised 103,000 and beating market estimates of 124,000, according to ADP.

Most S&P 500 sectors fell, led by consumer stocks, while energy and tech sectors closed higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.09% and closed at 42,196.52. The S&P 500 ended the day higher by 0.01% at 5,709.54, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.08%, finishing the session at 17,925.12.

Asian Markets Today

• On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed the session higher by 2.01% at 38,552.50, led by gains in the Mining, Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic and Real Estate sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 ended the day higher by 0.09% at 8,205.20, led by gains in the A-REITs, Telecoms Services and Industrials sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 closed lower by 2.12% at 25,250.10, and the Nifty 500 was down 2.13% to 23,755.45.
• China Markets closed for the National Day holiday.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 1.47%, ending the day at 22,113.51.
• Global stocks dipped as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly Israel’s bombing of Beirut, raised concerns about oil supply disruptions. Weak business data from Europe and mixed performances in Asia contributed to the market downturn. Despite these pressures, Japan’s Nikkei rose, driven by the new prime minister’s commitment to low rates.

Eurozone at 06:00 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 index declined 0.68%.
• Germany’s DAX was down 0.57%.
• France’s CAC fell 0.85%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.23%.

Commodities at 06:00 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 2.07% at $71.57/bbl, and Brent was up 1.91% at $75.31/bbl.
• Oil prices rose due to concerns over a potential widening Middle East conflict, which could disrupt crude supplies despite strong global supply levels. Israel’s airstrikes on Beirut heightened geopolitical tensions, but swelling U.S. crude inventories suggested the market remains well-supplied.
• Natural Gas was up 1.00% at $2.915.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.15% at $2,665.30, Silver fell 0.60% to $31.730, and Copper declined 1.11% to $4.5970.

US Futures at 06:00 AM ET

• Dow futures were down 0.33%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures slid 0.46%.
• U.S. stock futures dropped amid Middle East tensions and anticipation of the jobs report. Oil prices rose, while Levi Strauss LEVI and Tesla TSLA saw premarket declines.

Forex at 06:00 AM ET

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.24% to 101.91, the USD/JPY rose 0.27% to 146.88, and the USD/AUD gained 0.56% to 1.4605.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock