New Delhi, 30 December (H.S.): Global markets displayed signs of weakness on Tuesday, with major U.S. indices closing lower in the previous session and mixed trends emerging across Asia. Despite the subdued sentiment, Dow Jones futures edged slightly higher in early trading, offering some relief to investors.The final trading week of the year began on a soft note for Wall Street as profit booking continued in large technology stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 249.04 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 48,461.93. Similarly, the S&P 500 slipped 0.35 percent to settle at 6,905.75, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 118.79 points, or 0.50 percent, ending at 23,474.31.

However, Dow Jones futures were trading 0.13 percent higher at 48,524.73 points at last count, indicating a mildly positive opening ahead of the next session.In Europe, markets reopened after the extended Christmas holidays and closed on a mixed note amid light trading volumes.

The FTSE 100 lost 0.04 percent to wrap up at 9,866.53, while France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.10 percent to 8,112.02. Germany’s DAX also recorded a minor gain of 0.05 percent, closing at 24,351.12.Asian markets followed the global trend with largely mixed movements on Tuesday.

Out of nine major Asian indices, six traded in the red while three maintained gains. Singapore’s Straits Times Index surged 0.62 percent to 4,662.58, the Hang Seng Index of Hong Kong rose 0.35 percent to 25,725, and Thailand’s SET Composite added 0.21 percent to reach 1,256.65.On the downside, India’s GIFT Nifty slipped 0.17 percent to 25,922, and Taiwan’s Weighted Index fell by the same margin to 28,763.22. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 135.92 points, or 0.27 percent, to 50,391. Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index slipped 0.18 percent to 8,629.02, while China’s Shanghai Composite eased 0.10 percent to 3,961.21. South Korea’s Kospi Index also recorded a marginal 0.04 percent decline at 4,219.02.

Analysts said global investors are treading cautiously in the final trading sessions of 2025 as year-end profit booking, concerns over central bank policies, and regional growth outlooks keep market sentiment muted.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar