Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.68%, Shanghai Composite down 0.19% Hang Seng up 1.33% ASX up 0.60%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,127.12 (-0.60%) Silver at $60.015 (-0.46%), Brent Oil at 96.10 (2.16%), WTI Oil at 88.34 (1.75%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.661, UK 10-year yield at 5.0369, Germany 10-year yield at 3.1795
News & Data:
- (USD) Crude Oil Inventories 2.0M to -2.0M expected
Markets Update:
U.S. equity futures edged lower Wednesday night as investors assessed corporate earnings, artificial intelligence spending and rising oil prices. Dow futures slipped 0.1%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. Alphabet shares dropped 3% after the company raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to as much as $205 billion, reflecting continued investment in AI despite growing investor concerns over heavy spending by major technology firms.
During Wednesday’s regular session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished nearly flat, while the S&P 500 declined 0.14% and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.57%. In Asia, markets opened higher on Thursday, led by South Korea’s Kospi, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also posted gains.
Oil prices remained a key focus after renewed U.S. strikes on Iran and heightened geopolitical tensions. Brent crude rose 2% to $95.99 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 1.7% to $88.27. Additional concerns emerged after a tanker in the Red Sea was struck by an unidentified projectile, although no casualties were reported.
Analysts warned that sustained increases in crude prices could keep inflation elevated and complicate the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook. Investors are also awaiting earnings from American Airlines, T-Mobile, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and Intel, along with the latest weekly U.S. jobless claims data due before the market opens.
Upcoming Events:
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- 12:30 PM GMT – USD Unemployment Claims
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