Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Advances, Gold Hits Record High On Safe-Haven Demand - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Friday, February 7, U.S. markets closed lower after Trump announced plans for reciprocal tariffs amid weak jobs data and declining consumer sentiment. Despite early struggles, strong earnings provided some support. Consumer sentiment hit a seven-month low, inflation expectations surged, and job growth slowed, reinforcing expectations that the Fed will delay rate cuts until June.

The University of Michigan reported a sharp rise in inflation expectations, with the one-year outlook hitting 4.3%, the highest since November 2023. February’s jobs report showed mixed results: job growth slowed, but unemployment dropped more than expected, and wages surged.

All S&P 500 sectors ended in the red, led by losses in communication services, consumer discretionary, and materials stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.99% and closed at 44,303.40, the S&P 500 closed lower by 0.95% at 6,025.99, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.36% to finish at 19,523.40.

Aisa Markets Today

• On Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed lower by 0.12% at 38,770.50, led by losses in the Glass, Retail and Real Estate sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.34% to 8,482.80, led by losses in the IT, Telecoms Services and Materials sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 closed lower by 0.78% at 23,376.05, and Nifty 500 slid 1.32%, closing at 21,360.55, led by losses in the Real Estate, Metals, and Consumer Durables sectors.
• China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.56% and closed at 3,322.17, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 was up 0.21% at 3,901.06.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed the session higher by 1.84% at 21,521.98.

Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.37%.
• Germany’s DAX rose 0.31%.
• France’s CAC gained 0.26%.
• U.K.’s FTSE index 100 traded higher by 0.47%
• European stocks opened higher on Monday despite Trump’s new tariff announcement. Markets remain optimistic amid strong earnings growth, cheap valuations, and hopes for ECB easing. Nokia appointed Justin Hotard as its new CEO.

Commodities at 05:30 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 1.17% at $71.81/bbl, and Brent was up 1.15% at $75.50/bbl.
• Oil prices rose, rebounding from last week’s losses amid trade war concerns. Sanctions on Russia and Iran add upside risks, but analysts expect oil to trade lower, with Brent forecasted at $60-$65 per barrel in late 2025.
• Natural Gas gained 3.35% to $3.420.
• Gold was trading higher by 1.46% at $2,930.21, Silver was up 0.95% to $32.750, and Copper rose 0.69% to $4.6200.
• Gold hit record highs as Trump’s new tariffs fueled safe-haven demand. Markets remain cautious over potential trade war escalation, while strong U.S. inflation data and high interest rates could limit further gold gains.

U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET

• Dow futures were up 0.28%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.40%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.62%.
• U.S. stock futures rose, led by steelmakers after Trump announced new tariffs. Investors remain cautious but less reactive to trade moves.

Forex at 05:30 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index gained 0.10% to 108.15, USD/JPY was up 0.52% to 152.19, and USD/AUD fell 0.14% to 1.5921.

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