Asia Mixed, Europe Markets Uptick; Crude Oil At $74 - Global Markets Today While US Was Sleeping

On Thursday, January 18th, U.S. stock markets closed higher, driven by a robust rally in technology-related stocks, benefiting the Nasdaq.

In economic data, U.S. initial jobless claims dropped to 187,000, surpassing expectations of 207,000. Housing starts declined by 4.3% to 1.46 million, but building permits rose 1.9% to 1.495 million in December.

Most sectors in the S&P 500 finished with gains, particularly information technology and communication services; utilities and real estate sectors fell, deviating from the broader market’s upward trajectory.

Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing TSM jumped almost 10%, following its forecast of over 20% revenue growth in 2024, driven by robust demand for advanced chips in artificial intelligence applications.

Also Read: TSMC Stock Set For 18% Upside? Analyst Says Chipmaking Giant ‘More Likely To Beat And Raise In An Upcycle

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.54%, closing at 37,468.61, the S&P 500 rose 0.88% to 4,780.94, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.35%, ending the session at 15,055.65.

Asia Markets Today

• On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closed the session higher by 1.42% at 35,963.27, led by gains in the Rubber, Automobiles & Parts, and Precision Instruments sectors.
• Japan’s key consumer inflation rate decreased for the second consecutive month in December, fueling conjecture that the Bank of Japan may not be quick to alter its highly accommodative monetary stance.
• Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.02% and closed at 7,421.20, led by gains in the IT, Healthcare, and Consumer Discretionary sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 closed higher by 0.75% at 21,622.40, and the Nifty 500 rose 0.99% to 19,606.40.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.47% to 2,832.28, while the Shenzhen CSI 300 slid 0.15%, closing at 3,269.78.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was down 0.80%, concluding the day at 15,268.50.

Eurozone at 06:00 AM ET

• The European STOXX 600 index was up 0.16%.
• Germany’s DAX gained 0.29%.
• France’s CAC rose by 0.12%.
• The U.K.’s FTSE 100 traded higher by 0.42%.

Commodities at 06:00 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.19% at $74.08/bbl, and Brent was up 0.14% at $79.22/bbl.
• Natural Gas declined 2.11% to $2.640.
• Gold was trading higher by 0.57% at $2,033.25, Silver rose by 0.62% to $22.948, while Copper was up 0.81% to $3.7755.

US Futures at 06:00 AM ET           

Dow futures were up 0.18%, S&P 500 futures increased 0.41%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.75%.

Forex at 06:00 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.18% to 103.36, USD/JPY declined 0.08% to 148.03, and AUD/USD slid 0.33% to 1.5162.

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