New Delhi, 28 October (H.S.): Global markets offered encouraging signals on Wednesday, with most Asian indices trading in positive territory following gains on Wall Street in the previous session. However, US stock futures were lower in early trade, while European markets had ended mixed on Tuesday, with gains across major indices in Germany and France offset by losses in the United Kingdom.
US equities closed higher on Tuesday, supported by advances in technology stocks, particularly companies operating in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15.99 points, or 0.03 per cent, to close at 52,377.57. The S&P 500 gained 45.83 points, or 0.60 per cent, to settle at 7,722.60, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 308.43 points, or 1.18 per cent, to finish at 26,477.81.
Despite the positive close on Wall Street, US stock futures were trading lower on Wednesday morning. Dow Jones futures were down 85.92 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 52,290.65, indicating a cautious start for US equities.
European markets recorded mixed performances in the previous trading session, with Germany and France posting gains while the UK benchmark ended lower.
Germany’s DAX advanced 179.93 points, or 0.70 per cent, to close at 25,590.77. France’s CAC 40 also finished higher, gaining 39.82 points, or 0.50 per cent, to settle at 7,887.14.
In contrast, the UK’s FTSE 100 remained under pressure throughout the session and closed down 80.79 points, or 0.76 per cent, at 10,686.54.
Asian equities were broadly positive on Wednesday, with several major indices recording strong gains. However, the Gift Nifty, which provides an early indication of the likely direction of Indian equity markets, was trading sharply lower.
The index was down 225 points, or 0.99 per cent, at 22,587, signalling a potentially weak opening for domestic equities.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced sharply, supported by the positive performance of US markets in the previous session. The index rose 867.63 points, or 1.37 per cent, to 64,136.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index was also trading higher, gaining 22.63 points, or 0.42 per cent, to reach 5,406.39.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index recorded a modest increase of 68.68 points, or 0.30 per cent, to trade at 23,110.
South Korea’s KOSPI posted one of the strongest gains among the Asian benchmarks, surging 360.55 points, or 6.39 per cent, to 5,998.89 amid widespread buying. Taiwan’s Weighted Index also advanced, climbing 709.74 points, or 1.54 per cent, to 46,805.97.
China’s Shanghai Composite Index traded in positive territory, rising 26.14 points, or 0.72 per cent, to 3,674.44.
Not all Asian markets followed the broader upward trend. Thailand’s SET Composite Index edged down 1.16 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 1,573.86, reflecting mild selling pressure.
Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index also traded lower, declining 67.61 points, or 1.28 per cent, to 5,198.52 as sellers dominated the session.
Overall, the majority of Asian markets were trading higher on Wednesday, drawing support from Wall Street’s gains in the previous session. However, weakness in Gift Nifty and US futures pointed to continued caution among investors, with market movements remaining sensitive to developments in global technology stocks and broader economic conditions.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
