New Delhi, 17 July (H.S.): Global markets signalled weakness on Friday, with US equities ending the previous session in the red and Asian markets also coming under selling pressure. Dow Jones Futures were trading lower, while European markets closed with mixed results in the previous session.

Wall Street ended lower overnight, weighed down by heavy selling in semiconductor stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 105.32 points, or 0.20 per cent, to close at 52,553.32. The S&P 500 declined 0.51 per cent to settle at 7,533.77, while the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 387.28 points, or 1.47 per cent, to close at 25,881.95. Meanwhile, Dow Jones Futures were trading 334.39 points, or 0.64 per cent, lower at 52,218.58.

European markets delivered a mixed performance in the previous session. The FTSE Index gained 0.53 per cent to close at 10,572.24. In contrast, France's CAC 40 slipped 0.05 per cent to 8,377.86, while Germany's DAX Index declined 0.34 per cent to finish at 24,915.49.

Asian markets were also largely under pressure, with six of the region's nine major indices trading in negative territory. Two indices were trading higher, while South Korea's Kospi remained closed due to a market holiday.

Gift Nifty was the only major Indian indicator trading positively, rising 88 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 24,183. Apart from Gift Nifty, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index was the only major Asian benchmark in positive territory, advancing 0.68 per cent to 6,149.63.

Among the declining markets, Singapore's Straits Times Index was down 0.55 per cent at 5,508.91. Thailand's SET Composite Index slipped 0.19 per cent to 1,632.20.

Japan's Nikkei Index witnessed sharp selling, plunging 3,048.54 points, or 4.56 per cent, to 63,787. Taiwan's Weighted Index also suffered heavy losses, falling 2,067 points, or 4.53 per cent, to 43,557.98.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 498.60 points, or 1.99 per cent, to 24,510, while China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 63.82 points, or 1.64 per cent, to trade at 3,818.59.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar