New Delhi, August 14 (HS): World markets presented a mixed picture on Thursday, with Wall Street and European indices closing firmly in the green, while most Asian markets struggled under selling pressure.

Optimism in the US was fuelled by rising expectations that the Federal Reserve may soon cut interest rates, sparking a wave of buying in the previous session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 400 points, with futures edging up 0.06% to 44,947.48. The S&P 500 added 0.32% to close at 6,466.58, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.14% to 21,713.14.

Europe Continues Uptrend

European stocks mirrored the upbeat sentiment. London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.19% to 9,165.23, France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.66% to 7,804.97, and Germany’s DAX advanced by 160.81 points, or 0.66%, to finish at 24,185.59.

Asia Struggles Despite Pockets of Strength

Across Asia, sentiment was largely bearish. Out of nine key indices, seven were in negative territory. Jakarta Composite bucked the trend, rising 0.62% to 7,941.54, while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.20% to 3,690.88.

Elsewhere, India’s Gift Nifty dipped 0.03% to 24,682.50, Singapore’s Straits Times fell 0.36% to 4,257.39, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.47% (634.67 points) to 42,640. Taiwan’s Weighted Index dropped 0.39% to 24,275.63, South Korea’s KOSPI slipped 0.39% to 3,211.81, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng eased 0.21% to 25,559, and Thailand’s SET Composite shed 0.20% to 1,274.91.

Investor Mood: Split Between Optimism and Caution

With US and European markets buoyed by rate‑cut hopes and Asian traders taking a cautious stance, global market sentiment remains fragmented. Analysts expect volatility to persist as investors weigh softening inflation signals in the West against lingering growth concerns in Asia.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar