New Delhi, 30 April (H.S.):
Mounting concerns over the absence of a swift resolution to the ongoing tensions in West Asia, along with a sharp rally in crude‑oil prices in global markets, are sending signals of weakness into the broader global equity landscape today. U.S. markets remained under persistent pressure in the previous session, while Dow futures are currently trading in the red, reflecting continued risk‑off sentiment. European equities also witnessed sustained selling pressure in the last session, whereas Asian indices, even as they trade under pressure, are showing a mixed picture.
Heightened geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia has weighed on global risk appetite, with investors particularly nervous about the prospect of protracted disruption. Wall Street ended the previous session lower, pressured by rising oil prices and the associated inflation and policy‑risk concerns. Dow Jones futures for today are trading 0.50 percent lower at 48,618.11, down 243.70 points, indicating a cautious start to the new session.
In the last session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 280 points, the S&P 500 closed 0.04 percent weaker, and the Nasdaq eked out a marginal gain of 0.04 percent to close at 24,673.24, underscoring a broader risk‑off mood despite some resilience in tech‑heavy indices.
European bourses were also under pressure, reflecting the same global risk‑off concerns. The FTSE 100 index slipped 119.68 points (1.17 percent) to close at 10,213.11, while the CAC 40 fell 0.40 percent to 8,072.13. The DAX index ended 0.27 percent lower at 23,954.56, illustrating broad‑based weakness across major European benchmarks.
In Asia, trading is mixed, with nine major regional indices broadly divided between gains and losses. Out of these nine indices, six are in the red, while three are trading in positive territory. The Straits Times Index is up 0.68 percent at 4,893.97, the Taiwan Weighted Index has gained 195.68 points (0.50 percent) to 39,499.18, and the Shanghai Composite Index is marginally higher by 0.09 percent at 4,111.02.
On the weaker side, the GIFT Nifty is trading 1.30 percent lower at 23,940, down 316 points, signalling a negative bias for Indian equities. The Nikkei 225 has slipped 747.46 points (1.25 percent) to 59,170, while the Jakarta Composite Index is down sharply by 2.23 percent (158.10 points) at 6,943.13. The Hang Seng Index is down 1.33 percent (347.84 points) at 25,764, the SET Composite Index is 0.53 percent weaker at 1,483.78, and the KOSPI Index is down 0.49 percent at 6,658.29.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
