New Delhi, 27 March (H.S.):
Global markets are sending mixed signals today as uncertainty lingers over whether the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran will ease or spiral further. Investors in the West remain cautious after the last session ended on a sharp sell‑off, while
Asian bourses are trading in a patchy pattern, with some indices advancing and others slipping. The standoff in West Asia, along with the shifting timelines around possible attacks on Iran’s power infrastructure, has kept sentiment fragile and speculative.
In the United States, Wall Street closed the previous session under pressure, with major indices coming down on the back of heightened war fears. The S&P 500 ended 114.74 points or 1.74 percent lower at 6,477.16, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 521.74 points or 2.38 percent to 21,408.08, weighed down by negative headlines around Iran’s rejection of Washington’s ceasefire terms. However, after the US announced that it would extend the pause on strikes against Iran’s power infrastructure by another five days, Dow Jones futures turned positive.
Early Thursday morning, the Dow futures were up 217.96 points, or 0.47 percent, at 46,178.07, reflecting modest relief in offshore sentiment.
European markets mirrored the risk‑off mood in the prior session. The FTSE 100 slipped 134.67 points, or 1.35 percent, to 9,972.17, the French CAC index closed down 0.99 percent at 7,769.31, and Germany’s DAX fell 344.11 points, or 1.52 percent, to 22,612.97. The broadly negative close underlined how European investors remain wary of any escalation in the Middle East, particularly if it translates into higher energy costs and tighter supply chains.
Across Asia, trading is unfolding in a mixed fashion. Of the nine major markets tracked, five indices are in the red while four are in the green. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is up 148.57 points, or 0.59 percent, at 25,000, while Thailand’s SET Composite has gained 0.50 percent to 1,450.24. Shanghai Comp has edged up 0.26 percent to 3,899.12 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index is 0.22 percent higher at 4,898.62, pointing to some resilience in parts of the region.
On the flip side, GIFT Nifty is down 251 points, or 1.09 percent, at 23,027, indicating a bearish bias in the Indian offshore gauge ahead of the domestic open. Japan’s Nikkei 225 is down 211.65 points, or 0.39 percent, at 53,392, while South Korea’s Kospi has shed 102.95 points, or 1.92 percent, to 5,357.51. Taiwan Weighted has slipped 409.08 points, or 1.24 percent, to 32,928.54, and Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite is 0.80 percent lower at 7,107.56.
The combination of these moves suggests that although pockets of optimism endure, broader risk appetite in Asia remains cautious, with investors closely watching the Iran‑war‑related headlines and their impact on oil prices and global trade flows.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
