On Wednesday, February 21st, U.S. stock markets closed mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping for the third day.
In economic data, U.S. mortgage applications dropped 10.6% in the week ending Feb. 16, 2024. FOMC minutes highlighted the Fed’s need for clear disinflation signs before considering rate cuts.
On the NYSE, advancers matched decliners, while on the Nasdaq, decliners led advancers 1.73-to-1. The S&P 500 saw 25 new highs, and the Nasdaq had 47 new highs against 96 new lows.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained by 0.13%, closing at 38,612.24, the S&P 500 rose 0.13% to reach 4,981.80, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.32%, concluding the trading day at 15,580.87.
Asian Markets Today
- On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index closed the session higher by 2.13% at 39,116.00, led by gains in the Transportation Equipment, Rubber, and Paper & Pulp sectors.
- In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.04% and closed at 7,611.20, led by gains in the Utilities, Energy and IT sectors.
- India’s Nifty 50 closed higher by 0.74% at 22,217.45, and the Nifty 500 rose 0.77% to 20,283.95.
- China’s Shanghai Composite rose 1.27% to 2,988.36, while the Shenzhen CSI 300 gained 0.86%, closing at 3,486.67.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1.45%, concluding the day at 16,742.95.
Eurozone at 06:30 AM ET
- The European STOXX 600 index was up 0.78%.
- Germany’s DAX gained 1.43%.
- France’s CAC rose 1.01%.
- U.K’s FTSE 100 traded higher by 0.27%.
Commodities at 06:30 AM ET
- Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.04% at $77.95/bbl, and Brent was up 0.07% at $83.08/bbl.
- Natural Gas declined 2.59% to $1.728.
- Gold was trading higher by 0.20% at $2,038.40, Silver gained 0.98% to $23.098, while Copper slid 0.05% to $3.8730.
US Futures at 06:30 AM ET
Dow futures were up 0.42%, S&P 500 futures climbed 1.36%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 2.15%.
Forex at 06:30 AM ET
The U.S. Dollar Index slipped 0.27% to 103.73, USD/JPY was down 0.04% to 150.22, and AUD/USD declined 0.44% to 1.5195.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
