Market Update 24/02/2025

Wall Street experienced another weak night, concluding last week’s trading. The Nasdaq index closed down 2.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.8%, and the S&P 500 index dropped 1.6%. Throughout the New York trading day, stocks continued to decline, especially after economic data was released.

Bond Market:
The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield decreased by 8 basis points to 4.43%, then further fell by 3 basis points to 4.47% during the European trading session. This reflects increased investor demand for safe-haven assets.

Commodity Market:
Oil prices fell 2.8% to $74.30 per barrel. Brent crude oil prices dropped 0.5% during the European trading session, approaching $76 per barrel

Foreign Exchange Market:
The dollar generally strengthened. The AUD/USD exchange rate fluctuated between 0.6352 and 0.6409, ultimately closing at 0.6357. The EUR/USD rate fell to near 1.0450, while GBP/USD dropped to 1.2626. USD/CAD rose to 1.4234, while USD/JPY broke below 149.00, touching a low of 148.93.

Asian Stock Markets:
Asian stock markets rebounded before the weekend. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 3.9%, the Shenzhen Component Index increased 1.3%, and Japan’s Nikkei Index gained 0.3%. Australia’s ASX Index closed down 0.3%, with consumer services and discretionary sectors underperforming.

European Stock Markets:
European stock markets showed mixed performance. France’s CAC index rose 0.5%, while the Stoxx index, Germany’s DAX index, and the UK’s FTSE index remained largely unchanged. However, during late trading, most European markets closed with slight losses, with only the FTSE index gaining 0.4% against the trend.