Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Advances, Gold Retreats On Hopes Of Fading Uncertainty – Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Friday, April 25, U.S. markets closed higher, capping a strong week fueled by easing U.S.-China trade tensions and solid earnings. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained, led by AI-related megacaps, while the Dow lagged.

Most S&P 500 firms beat earnings expectations, though forward guidance reflected economic uncertainty. Consumer sentiment stayed weak while Alphabet rallied and Intel slumped.

In economic data, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index for April was revised up to 52.2, improving from the initial estimate of 50.8 but still down from March’s 57.

Among the S&P 500’s 11 major sectors, consumer discretionary and tech led the gains, while materials recorded the biggest percentage decline.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.05% to 40,113.50, the S&P 500 rose 0.74% to 5,525.21, and the Nasdaq jumped 1.26% to 17,382.94.

Asia Markets Today

On Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.35% and closed at 35,831.00, led by gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.36%, ending the session at 7,997.10, led by gains in the Energy, IT, and Consumer Discretionary sectors.
India’s Nifty 50 was up 1.17% at 24,320.35, and Nifty 500 rose 1.13% to 22,094.45.
China’s Shanghai Composite slid 0.20% to 3,288.41, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 was down 0.14% at 3,781.62.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.04% lower at 21,971.96.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

The European STOXX 50 was up 0.79%.
Germany’s DAX gained 0.83%.
France’s CAC 40 rose 0.89%.
U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.39%.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.21% at $62.90/bbl, and Brent was down 0.20% at $65.67/bbl.
Natural Gas rose 1.35% to $3.156.
Gold was trading lower by 0.28% at $3,289.40, Silver was down 0.50% to $32.845, and Copper slid 0.53% to $4.8692.
Gold prices fell as easing U.S.-China trade tensions reduced safe-haven demand. Investors await key U.S. data, while Copper edged lower despite hopes for China’s economic stimulus boost.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.01%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.10%, and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.09%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.13% to 99.60, USD/JPY was down 0.15% to 143.46, and USD/AUD gained 0.01% to 1.5628.
Global markets stayed near three-week highs as easing tariff concerns lifted sentiment, though confusion over U.S. trade policy persisted. Stocks rose modestly, the dollar struggled, and investors focused on key U.S. earnings, jobs data, and upcoming elections.

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