Asia Mixed, Europe Markets Gain, Dollar Index Slips Amid Credit Rating Downgrade - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Monday, May 19, U.S. markets closed modestly higher, as investor sentiment dimmed following a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating due to its growing debt burden.

While equities recovered from earlier losses, gains were uneven across sectors. Energy and consumer discretionary lagged, while healthcare and industrials led advances. Treasury yields rose on debt concerns tied to a newly approved tax bill.

According to economic data, the CB Leading Index dropped 1% in April compared to the previous month.

Most S&P 500 sectors rose on Monday, led by health care, consumer staples, and industrials, while energy and consumer discretionary declined.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.32% to 42,792.07, the S&P 500 rose 0.09% to 5,963.60, while the Nasdaq was up 0.02% at 19,215.46.

Asia Markets Today

• On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.04% higher at 37,514.00, led by gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.58%, ending the session at 8,343.30, led by gains in the IT, A-REITs, and Telecom Services sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 was down 1.08% at 24,674.20, and Nifty 500 fell 1.28% to 22,574.25.
• China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.38% at 3,380.48, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 was up 0.54% at 3,898.17.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed the session 1.49% higher at 23,681.48.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 index was up 0.29%.
• Germany’s DAX index gained 0.47%.
• France’s CAC 40 rose 0.20%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.53%.
• European stocks rose slightly on Tuesday, lifted by a Chinese rate cut and hopes for Ukraine-Russia peace talks. Falling German factory prices and trade optimism also supported investor sentiment.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.08% at $62.10/bbl, and Brent was down 0.08% at $65.49/bbl.
• Oil prices steadied Tuesday amid uncertainty over U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and fragile Russia-Ukraine ceasefire efforts.
• Natural Gas gained 1.54% to $3.161.
• Gold was trading higher by 0.10% at $3,236.59, Silver was up 0.09% to $32.540, and Copper slid 0.70% to $4.6380.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.20%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.34%, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.44%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.12% to 100.25, USD/JPY was down 0.21% to 144.53, and USD/AUD rose 0.64% to 1.5585.
• The dollar extended its slide Tuesday, pressured by fiscal concerns, Fed caution, and uncertainty over Trump’s tax bill, which could deepen the U.S. deficit.

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