Asia And Europe Markets Mixed; Gold Holds Near Record High On Safe Haven Demand - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Tuesday, March 18, U.S. markets closed in red, ending a two-day rally as investors awaited the Fed’s policy decision and monitored Trump’s tariff effects. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady, though markets anticipate 60 bps in cuts this year. Uncertainty over tariffs and economic impact remains high. Meanwhile, Trump and Putin agreed to pursue a limited Ukraine ceasefire.

In economic data, U.S. data showed stronger-than-expected results in February. Import prices climbed 0.4%, defying forecasts of a 0.1% drop, while export prices edged up 0.1% month over month. Industrial production also outperformed expectations, rising 0.7% compared to the projected 0.2% increase.

Most S&P 500 sectors ended lower Tuesday, led by losses in communication services, tech, and consumer discretionary. Energy and healthcare outperformed, finishing higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.62% to close at 41,581.31, the S&P 500 declined 1.07% to 5,614.66, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 1.71% to 17,504.12.

Asia Markets Today

• On Wednesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.20% to 37,770.50, led by losses in the Shipbuilding, Manufacturing, and Services sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.41% and closed at 7,828.30,
• India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.34% to 22,911.45 and Nifty 500 was up 0.99% at 20,862.00.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.10% to 3,426.43, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.06% to 4,010.17.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.12%, ending the session at 24,771.14.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.25%.
• Germany’s DAX declined 0.21%.
• France’s CAC rose 0.39%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 0.15%
• European stocks mixed as investors assessed German debt reforms, eurozone inflation data, and the Fed meeting.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.51% at $66.40/bbl, and Brent was down 0.54% at $70.18/bbl.
• Oil prices fell as Russia agreed to a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure, raising hopes for increased supply.
• Natural Gas gained 1.58% to $4.116.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.11% at $3,037.50, Silver was down 1.22% to $34.393, and Copper rose 0.66% to $5.0495.
• Gold hit a record high driven by Middle East tensions and U.S. tariff fears boosting safe-haven demand.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.19%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.26% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.32%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. dollar index rose 0.39% to 103.65, the USD/JPY rose 0.31% to 149.80, and the USD/AUD gained 0.55% to 1.5807.
• The dollar edged up slightly, though it remains under pressure from recession fears and Trump’s tariff moves.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock