On Friday, January 17, U.S. markets closed higher, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq marking their strongest weekly gains in months. Optimism over economic resilience and potential Fed rate cuts, alongside robust bank earnings and upbeat homebuilding and manufacturing data, outweighed concerns about Trump’s policies and inflation risks.
According to economic data, U.S. industrial production rose by 0.9% in December, surpassing expectations of 0.3%. Housing starts jumped 15.8% to 1.499 million units annually, while building permits dipped 0.7% to 1.483 million.
Most S&P 500 sectors ended higher on Friday, led by consumer discretionary, information technology, and communication services gains. In contrast, healthcare and real estate stocks closed lower, diverging from the broader market trend.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.78% and closed at 43,487.83, the S&P 500 closed higher by 1.00% at 5,996.66, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.51% to finish at 19,630.20.
Aisa Markets Today
- On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed higher by 0.30% at 39,000.50, led by gains in the Shipbuilding, Machinery, and Rubber sectors.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.66%, ending the session at 8,402.40, with gains in the Gold, Financials, and Metals & Mining sectors.
- India’s Nifty 50 closed lower by 1.25% at 23,053.05, and the Nifty 500 declined 1.63%, closing at 21,452.90. Losses in the Real Estate, Consumer Durables, and Power sectors led the declines.
- China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.05% and closed at 3,242.62, while the Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.08%, finishing the day at 3,832.61.
- Hong Kong Hang Seng closed the session higher by 0.91% at 20,106.55.
Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET
- The European STOXX 50 was up 0.05%.
- Germany’s DAX fell 0.08%.
- France’s CAC rose 0.25%.
- U.K.’s FTSE index 100 traded higher by 0.12%.
- European stocks were flat Tuesday as investors assessed Trump’s tariff plans. The STOXX 600 was steady, but Germany’s DAX fell 0.2% on automotive sector worries.
Commodities at 05:30 AM ET
- Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 1.98% at $75.83/bbl, and Brent was down 1.11% at $79.24/bbl.
- Oil prices declined as investors evaluated delayed U.S. tariff plans and Trump’s focus on expanding domestic energy production.
- Natural Gas declined 2.20% to $3.861.
- Gold was trading lower by 0.50% at $2,735.09, Silver was down 0.09% to $31.108, and Copper fell 1.88% to $4.2862.
U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET
Dow futures were up 0.44%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.49% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.55%.
Forex at 05:30 AM ET
- The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.55% to 108.66, USD/JPY gained 0.22% to 155.91, and USD/AUD gained 0.76% to 1.6058.
- The dollar rebounded on Tuesday, partially recovering from its sharp decline on Monday, as President Trump hinted at potential 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico by February 1.
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