Asia And Europe Markets Gains, Gold Makes New High - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Monday, March 17, U.S. markets closed in green as investors bought beaten-down shares after weeks of losses. Factory activity in New York dropped sharply, and homebuilder sentiment fell due to rising costs from tariffs.

Investors are now focused on the Federal Reserve’s meeting Wednesday, where interest rates are expected to remain unchanged.

According to economic data, U.S. retail sales rose by 0.2% in February, below the expected 0.6% increase. New York’s manufacturing index dropped to -20.0, its lowest since May 2023, and homebuilder confidence fell to 39 in March from 42 in February.

Most S&P 500 sectors closed higher on Monday, led by real estate, energy, and consumer staples, while consumer discretionary stocks declined.            

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.85% to close at 41,841.63, the S&P 500 gained 0.64% to 5,675.12, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.31% to 17,808.66.

Asia Markets Today

• On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.24% to 37,859.00, led by gains in the Power, Rubber and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.08% and closed at 7,860.40, led by gains in the Utilities, Gold and A-REITs sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 rose 1.29% to 22,800.35 and Nifty 500 was up 1.66% at 20,624.05.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.11% to 3,429.76, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.27% to 4,007.72.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rallied up 2.46%, ending the session at 24,740.57.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.93%.
• Germany’s DAX gained 1.32%.
• France’s CAC rose 0.64%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.50%

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 1.48% at $68.35/bbl, and Brent was up 1.36% at $72.04/bbl.
• Oil prices edged up, supported by Middle East tensions and China’s stimulus plans. However, gains were limited by global growth concerns, U.S. tariffs, and Ukraine ceasefire uncertainty.
• Natural Gas declined 0.95% to $3.980.
• Gold clocked an all-time high of $3,037. At the time of writing, it was trading higher by 0.82% at $3,030.46, Silver was up 1.32% to $34.763, and Copper rose 0.41% to $4.9795.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.02%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.02% and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.10%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. dollar index slid 0.08% to 103.33, the USD/JPY rose 0.40% to 149.81, and the USD/AUD rose 0.01% to 1.5664.
• The U.S. dollar edged lower Tuesday ahead of the Fed meeting, while the euro rose on Germany’s stimulus hopes. The yen slipped before the BOJ decision, and China’s yuan held steady.

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