New Delhi, 2 December (H.S.): Global markets are exhibiting signs of weakness as mixed trends unfold across Asian trading floors. The American markets closed lower in the previous session, breaking a five-day rally, with the Dow Jones plummeting over 400 points. The S&P 500 fell 0.53%, closing at 6,812.65 points, while the Nasdaq declined by 0.46%, ending at 23,258.64 points.

However, Dow Jones futures show a marginal gain of 0.03% as they trade near 47,302 points, indicating cautious optimism.European markets also faced persistent selling pressure, with the FTSE 100 dipping 0.19% to 9,702.53 points. France's CAC 40 retreated 0.32% to close at 8,097, and Germany’s DAX plunged 1.05%, losing 247 points to settle at 23,589.44.

Asian markets today paint a more nuanced picture with mixed activity across nine key indices. Six indices are trading positively, while three remain in the red. India’s GIFT Nifty slipped 0.30% to 26,282 points. China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.55% to 3,892.55, and Thailand’s SET Composite declined 0.21% to 1,273.94.

Conversely, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.27% to 49,438 points, the Straits Times advanced 0.10% to 4,530.85, and South Korea’s Kospi experienced robust gains, soaring 1.71% to 3,987.53. Taiwan’s Weighted Index strengthened by 0.76% to 27,551.62, Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite jumped 0.70% to 8,608.87, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged higher by 0.14% to 26,070.

The current global market scenario reflects cautious investor sentiment amid uncertain economic indicators and policy outlooks. While Asian markets demonstrate pockets of resilience, the broader backdrop remains fragile as investors brace for evolving global financial dynamics in December.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar