Asia Markets Mixed, Europe Edges Lower, Dollar Weakens On Rate Cut Bets - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Friday, June 27, U.S. markets closed higher, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record highs amid optimism over trade deals and expected Fed rate cuts. Despite U.S.-Canada tensions, investor momentum remained strong, particularly in tech stocks. Economic data showed mixed signals, but consumer sentiment improved.Nvidia and Nike led gains, while Micron boosted AI stock confidence. Overall, market resilience and bullish sentiment continued to drive gains.Most S&P 500 sectors ended higher Friday, led by communication services, consumer discretionary, and industrials, while energy and health care declined.The Dow rose 1.00% to 43,819.27, the S&P 500 was up 0.54% at 6,173.07, and the Nasdaq gained 0.52% to 20,273.46.Asia Markets TodayOn Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.80% higher at 40,472.00, led by gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.33% at 8,542.30, led by gains in the Healthcare, Industrials and Consumer Discretionary sectors.India’s Nifty 50 was down 0.44% at 25,524.95, and the Nifty 500 rose 0.01% to 23,621.90.China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.59% at 3,444.43, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 rose 0.37% to 3,936.08.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed the session 0.87% lower at 24,072.28.Eurozone at 05:45 AM ETThe European STOXX 50 index was down 0.30%.Germany’s DAX index declined 0.09%.France’s CAC 40 fell 0.19%.U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 0.30%.Commodities at 05:45 AM ETCrude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.40% at $65.26/bbl, and Brent was down 0.24% at $66.65/bbl.Oil prices held steady as Middle East tensions eased, but potential OPEC+ output hikes and global demand uncertainty kept gains limited. Bearish pressure is expected to persist amid weak outlooks.Natural gas fell 3.56% to $3.606.Gold traded higher by 0.33% to $3,298.52, Silver fell 0.13% to $35.990, and Copper gained 0.52% to $5.0530.U.S. FuturesAt 05:45 AM ET, the Dow Jones futures rose 0.47%, the S&P 500 gained 0.41%, and the Nasdaq 100 was up 0.61%.ForexAt 05:45 AM ET, the U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.17% to 97.23, USD/JPY was down 0.30% to 144.24, and USD/AUD gained 0.05% to 1.5320.The U.S. dollar slid near multi-year lows on hopes for trade deals and expected Fed rate cuts. Easing tariff risks, dovish Fed signals and euro strength further pressured the greenback.Photo via Shutterstock