-Dow Futures slip; Nasdaq tumbles 1.5%; European equities buck the trend with gains
New Delhi, August 20 (HS): Global markets are flashing weak signals today, with Asian equities largely under pressure after Wall Street ended sharply lower in the previous session. While U.S. indices closed in the red amid persistent profit-booking, European markets managed to stage a positive close.
On Wall Street, heavy selling dragged major indices down. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 285 points from its day’s high, while the S&P 500 shed 0.59% to settle at 6,411.37. The Nasdaq Composite was the worst hit, plunging 322 points (1.49%) to end at 21,307.71. Futures trading shows no respite: Dow Futures dropped another 104 points (0.23%) to 44,817.91.
In contrast, European markets closed on a firmer note. London’s FTSE rose 0.34% to 9,189.22, Paris’ CAC jumped 1.19% to 7,979.08, and Frankfurt’s DAX climbed 0.44% to close at 24,423.07.
Across Asia, sentiment turned sour. Out of nine key indices, seven were trading in the red. Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.74% (756 points) to 42,790, Kospi slipped 1.72% to 3,097.34, while Hang Seng was down 0.75% at 24,935. Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite edged 0.06% lower to 3,725.22. Meanwhile, Taiwan Weighted Index saw a steep fall of 2.55% (621 points) to 23,731.91.
Only two Asian markets bucked the trend – Jakarta Composite surged 0.62% to 7,911.49, and Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.32% to 4,229.64.
Back home, GIFT Nifty reflected the cautious mood, slipping 0.18% to 24,967.50. Thailand’s SET Composite also fell 0.53% to 1,229.15.
Market watchers say global equities remain jittery, with profit-booking in U.S. tech giants, rate-cut uncertainties, and Asia’s vulnerability to external shocks keeping investors on edge.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
