New Delhi, 08 July (H.S.):

Global markets signalled weakness on Wednesday as renewed geopolitical tensions in West Asia weighed on investor sentiment. US markets ended the previous session lower, while Dow Jones Futures also traded in negative territory during early trade. European markets closed with mixed results, and Asian equities witnessed a mixed trading session.

Renewed tensions in West Asia triggered broad-based selling across US equity markets during the previous session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.25 per cent to close at 52,925.15. The S&P 500 Index fell 0.45 per cent to settle at 7,503.85, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 302.47 points, or 1.16 per cent, to close at 25,818.69.

Dow Jones Futures continued to indicate cautious sentiment, trading 0.13 per cent lower at 52,857.47 during early trading.

European markets also remained under pressure before ending the previous session on a mixed note. The FTSE Index gained 0.13 per cent to close at 10,665.88. In contrast, France's CAC 40 Index declined 0.52 per cent to finish at 8,436.24, while Germany's DAX Index dropped 352.64 points, or 1.38 per cent, to close at 25,465.25.

Asian markets presented a mixed picture during Wednesday's trading session. Of the nine major Asian indices, five were trading lower while four were in positive territory.

Singapore's Straits Times Index advanced 1.12 per cent to 5,402.27. China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.52 per cent to trade at 4,011.05. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index posted a strong rally, surging 535.11 points, or 2.28 per cent, to 24,032. Taiwan's Weighted Index also traded higher, rising 128.40 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 45,607.51.

On the downside, GIFT Nifty declined 133.50 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 24,250, indicating a weak start for Indian equities. Japan's Nikkei Index slipped 166.96 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 68,090.

South Korea's Kospi Index recorded a sharp decline, falling 127.86 points, or 1.67 per cent, to 7,528.45. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index also weakened by 1.01 per cent to 5,926.71, while Thailand's SET Composite Index slipped 0.25 per cent to 1,600.04.

The overall performance of global markets reflected cautious investor sentiment amid escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia and concerns over their potential impact on global economic growth and financial markets.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar