New Delhi, 5 December (H.S.): Global markets exhibited a mixed trend on Friday as investors remained cautious ahead of key U.S. inflation data. After trading under pressure in the previous session, the U.S. indices managed to close slightly higher, while Asian markets opened on a divergent note this morning.

On Wall Street, investors opted for a measured approach ahead of inflation figures, resulting in marginal gains across major indices. The S&P 500 settled 0.11% higher at 6,857.12 points, while the Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.13% to close at 23,484.15 points.

Meanwhile, Dow Jones Futures were seen trading 0.08% higher at 47,889.50 points in early Friday trade.European markets extended their gains in the previous session, buoyed by sustained buying interest.

The FTSE index advanced 0.19% to close at 9,710.87 points, the CAC index climbed 0.43% to 8,122.03 points, and Germany’s DAX rose 0.79%, ending the session at 23,882.03 points.Across Asia, trading patterns remained uneven. Out of nine major Asian markets, five were trading in negative territory while three posted modest gains.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand remained closed due to a local holiday. The KOSPI index gained 0.99%, reaching 4,068.27 points, while Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite advanced 0.17% to 8,655.27 points. The Shanghai Composite edged 0.08% higher to 3,878.99 points.

Conversely, Gift Nifty slipped 0.06% to trade at 26,173 points, and Singapore’s Straits Times index declined 0.37% to 4,518.37 points. Japan’s Nikkei index witnessed a sharp fall of 1.33%, plunging 678.42 points to 50,350. The Hang Seng index also dropped 0.20% to 25,884 points, while Taiwan’s Weighted index showed a marginal dip of 0.03% at 27,787.73 points.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar