Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Up; Dollar Posts First Weekly Gain Since Mid March - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Thursday, April 23, U.S. markets extended their winning streak for a third session, lifted by tech strength and hopes of easing U.S.-China trade tensions.

The Nasdaq led gains, fueled by strong earnings from AI-driven firm ServiceNow. However, mixed corporate guidance from companies like Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo reflected ongoing consumer uncertainty.

Economic data showed the Chicago Fed index slipping to -0.03 in March from +0.24, while jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 222,000. Durable goods orders surged 9.2% to $315.7 billion.

Most S&P 500 sectors closed higher, led by tech, consumer discretionary, and communication services. Consumer staples lagged.

The Dow gained 1.23% to 40,093.40, the S&P 500 rose 2.03% to 5,484.77, and the Nasdaq jumped 2.74% to 17,166.04.

Asia Markets Today

• On Friday, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 1.95% to close at 35,081.50, led by gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors.
• Australia markets are closed for the ANZAC Day holiday.
• India's Nifty 50 was down 60% at 24,082.75, and the Nifty 500 slid 1.31% to 21,890.15.
• China's Shanghai Composite slid 0.07% to 3,295.06, while Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.07% to 3,786.99.
• Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 0.32% higher at 21,980.74.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.51%.
• Germany's DAX gained 0.52%.
• France's CAC 40 rose 0.52%.
• U.K.'s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.06%.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.51% at $62.47/bbl, and Brent was down 0.54% at $66.19/bbl.
• Oil prices are lower this week on oversupply concerns, U.S.-China trade uncertainty, and a stronger dollar.
• Natural Gas fell 0.44% to $2.918.
• Gold was trading lower by 1.19% at $3,308.09, Silver was down 0.41% to $33.370, and Copper slid 1.99% to $4.7598.
• Gold prices dipped Friday as risk appetite improved on hopes of U.S.-China trade de-escalation and strong tech earnings.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.01%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.35% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.35%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. dollar index rose 0.35% to 99.64, the USD/JPY rose 0.53% to 143.41, and the USD/AUD gained 0.47% to 1.5675.
• The dollar posted its first weekly gain since mid-March, rising 0.6% amid hopes of easing U.S.-China trade tensions after China granted some tariff exemptions.

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