New Delhi, 06 August (H.S.): Global markets offered mixed signals on Thursday, with Wall Street ending the previous session on a mixed note, European markets closing with varied performances, and Asian equities trading unevenly. Meanwhile, Dow Jones Futures were trading higher during the early hours, indicating a positive start for U.S. markets.

U.S. equities ended mixed in the previous session, weighed down by weakness in technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 263.24 points, or 0.49 percent, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.17 percent to close at 7,723.55. The Nasdaq Composite declined 221.55 points, or 0.83 percent, ending the session at 26,363.44.

European markets also closed with mixed results after trading under pressure for most of the session. Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.08 percent to settle at 10,888.30, while France's CAC 40 added 0.03 percent to close at 8,669.30. Germany's DAX, however, fell 76.05 points, or 0.29 percent, to finish at 26,126.30.

Asian markets were also displaying a mixed trend during Thursday's trading session. Among the region's nine major indices, five were trading in negative territory, while four were posting gains.

India's GIFT Nifty advanced 116.50 points, or 0.47 percent, to 24,751, indicating a positive opening for domestic equities. Thailand's SET Composite rose 0.63 percent to 1,619.92, while Singapore's Straits Times Index climbed 1.03 percent to 5,638.62. China's Shanghai Composite was marginally higher, gaining 0.01 percent to trade at 3,878.92.

On the downside, Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 735.44 points, or 1.11 percent, to 65,565. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 429.82 points, or 1.69 percent, to 25,486. South Korea's KOSPI recorded the sharpest fall among major Asian markets, plunging 300.97 points, or 4.56 percent, to 6,297.29.

Taiwan's Weighted Index was also trading lower, down 190.60 points, or 0.43 percent, at 44,421, while Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index slipped marginally by 0.02 percent to 6,349.84.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar