Asia And Europe Markets Mixed, Oil Edges Higher After Pipeline Attack - Global Markets Today While US Sle

On Friday, February 14, U.S. markets closed mixed, with Nvidia and Apple advancing while Microsoft and Amazon declined. The Nasdaq 100 reached a record high.

Treasury yields fell following weaker retail sales data. Investors remained focused on Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs and broader economic policy moves, adding to market uncertainty amid recent inflation data and Federal Reserve commentary.

Economic data showed that January retail sales declined by 0.9% from the previous month, a significantly steeper drop than the expected 0.1% decrease.

Most S&P 500 sectors ended lower on Friday, led by losses in healthcare, consumer staples, and utilities, while technology and communication stocks bucked the trend and closed higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.37% to close at 44,546.08, while the S&P 500 edged down 0.01% to 6,114.63. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.41%, finishing at 20,026.77.

U.S. markets were closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Washington’s Birthday.

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On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.28%, closing at 39,316.00, driven by gains in the Shipbuilding, Rubber, and Manufacturing sectors.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.66% to 8,481.00, weighed down by losses in the Energy, Financials, and Consumer Discretionary sectors.
Australia’s central bank cut rates to 4.1% for the first time in four years but signaled caution on further easing. The move aids borrowers and may influence Prime Minister Albanese’s election timing.
India’s Nifty 50 fell 0.15% to 22,924.50, and the Nifty 500 slid 0.35% to close at 20,582.05, led by losses in the Consumer Durables, Capital Goods, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods sectors.
China’s Shanghai Composite dropped 0.91% to 3,325.32, while the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 declined 0.87% to 3,912.89.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.59%, closing the session at 22,976.81.

Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET

The European STOXX 50 was up 0.01%.
Germany’s DAX declined 0.11%.
France’s CAC rose 0.03%.
U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.09%

Commodities at 05:30 AM ET

Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 1.47% at $71.74/bbl, and Brent was up 0.75% at $75.77/bbl.
Brent crude edged higher after a drone attack on a Russian pipeline disrupted oil flows from Kazakhstan. However, gains were limited due to expected OPEC+ supply increases and uncertainty in Chinese demand.
Natural Gas declined 3.38% to $3.599.
Gold was trading higher by 0.79% at $2,923.59, Silver was up 0.44% to $32.995, and Copper slid 1.37% to $4.6005.

U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.02%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.24%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.35%.

Forex at 05:30 AM ET

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.20% to 106.94, the USD/JPY was up 0.15% to 151.73, and the USD/AUD slid 0.06% to 1.5722.
The U.S. dollar strengthened as traders assessed tariff uncertainties, geopolitical risks, and the Federal Reserve’s cautious approach to rate cuts. The Australian dollar hovered near a two-month high after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut rates by 25 basis points to 4.10%.

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