London’s FTSE-100 climbs ahead of easter break -World Stocks Markets Review
UK’s blue-chip index rose in early deals on Thursday, lifted by commodity-linked stock, though most European markets were range-bound as worries of a possible recession in the US caused an overhang ahead of the Easter break. The FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent by 0707 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 index slipped 0.1 percent and the continent-wide STOXX 600 climbed 0.3 percent. Shell rose 1.7 percent as the energy giant forecast higher liquefied natural gas (LNG) output in the first quarter. Robert Walters Plc fell 4.1 percent after the recruiter flagged persistent market challenges and said recruitment in the technology industry was hit by lay-offs. Meanwhile, homebuilder stocks market edged down 0.3 percent even as mortgage lender Halifax said British house prices rose for a third month in a row in March, up 0.8 percent from February versus economists’ forecast of a 0.3 percent drop.
Sensex closes almost 150 pts higher
Indian stock market witnessed a sharp upside move after the announcement of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das surprised India Inc and Dalal Street enthusiasts by keeping the repo rate unchanged at 6.50percent. As the market was expecting a 25 bps rate hike, Sensex and Nifty cheered this RBI policy meeting outcome and remained in green after the announcement for most of the session. After hitting an intraday low of 59,520, BSE Sensex today bounced back strongly and closed at 59,832, a gain of 143 points. NSE Nifty today climbed 42 points to close at 17,599. Bajaj Finance and Adani Enterprises topped the stock market chart as they gained more than 3percent each in today’s session. Tata Motors climbed 2.5percent. HCL Tech shed 1.6percent followed by ONGC, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank which shed more than a percent each. Among sectoral indices, Realty jumped almost 3percent. Auto, Metal, Pharma, and Energy were among other prominent gainers with less than a percent jump. IT struggled as it shed 0.7percent. FMCG and Consumer Durable also ended in the red.
Japan’s nikkei ends at 2-week low
Japan’s Nikkei share average ended at a two-week low on Thursday, led by a sell-off of exporters on the back of yen’s overnight strength, while heavyweight technology stocks tracked the Nasdaq’s weakness. The Nikkei index fell 1.22percent to close at 27,472.63, its lowest since March 24. The broader Topix lost 1.14percent to 1,961.28. The S&P 500 dipped and the Nasdaq ended sharply lower overnight after a growing wave of weak economic data deepened worries that the Federal Reserve’s rapid interest rate hikes might tip the US economy into a recession. Overnight, the dollar held near two-month lows after the weak data supported the view that the Federal Reserve may not need to raise rates much further, propping the yen up. A stronger yen is a blow for exporter shares as it squeezes the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms repatriate them to Japan. “Japanese shares will be under pressure from a sign of slowdown of the US economy for a while. But towards the end of the month, there may be some domestic market moving cues as companies start reporting outlook, and the Bank of Japan will have a policy meeting.” Chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron slipped 4.53 percent Air-conditioning maker Daikin Industries Ltd lost 4.30 percent, leading the losses in the machinery makers’ 3.11 percent loss, which was the worst among the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 industry sub-indexes.
CAC 40 forms a double-top as lvmh, hermes, kering stocks rallies
The CAC 40 index has pulled back in the past few days as some investors start taking profits after a successful year-to-date rally. It retreated to a low of €7,300, which was a few points below this month’s high of €7,395. The CAC 40 index has been in a bullish trend this year, making it one of the top-performing indices globally. It has jumped by ~12 percent this year, meaning that it has outperformed its key American counterparts like the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100. The index has jumped because of the overall view that the European economy was doing better than expected. Early this year, the consensus was that the bloc would see one of its worst recessions in years because of the rising natural gas prices. However, the region has done better than expected considering that natural gas and LNG has been a bit weaker than expected. Data compiled by S&P shows that natural gas price has dropped to the lowest point since 2021.
Power Corp. of Canada stock rises Wednesday
Shares of Power Corp of Canada POW, +0.15 percent inched 0.15 percent higher to C$34.48 Wednesday, in what proved to be an otherwise all-around negative trading session for the Canadian market, with the S&P/TSX Composite Index GSPTSE, -0.57 percent falling 0.57 percent to 20,159.55. Power Corp. of Canada closed C$5.14 short of its 52-week high (C$39.62), which the company achieved on April 21st. Trading volume of 2.3 M shares remained below its 50-day average volume of 2.8 M.
Saudi stock market falls
Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index, which had been on an upward trend for nine consecutive sessions, fell by 0.26 percent, or 27.97 points, to close at 10,920.63 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the parallel market Nomu edged down by 1.62 percent to 19,799.26, and the MSCI Tadawul 30 Index dipped 0.36 percent to close at 1488.37. The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.65 billion (USD1.51 billion). Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Co. was the top performer of the day, with its share prices going up by 9.98 percent to SR22.42. Other notable performers were Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co. and Halwani Bros. Co., with shares going up by 9.95 percent and 4.88 percent, respectively.
In April 2023, the World Stocks Market showcased diverse performances across continents, reflecting the multifaceted nature of global finance. The World Stocks Market reacted to the US’s possible recession, influencing several European indices to move cautiously. India’s response in the World Stocks Market was buoyed by unexpected decisions from its central bank, leading to surges in key indices. Meanwhile, Japan’s contribution to the World Stocks Market was hampered by the yen’s strength and concerns about the US economy. As European entities demonstrated resilience, the World Stocks Market observed France’s CAC 40 making significant strides. Overall, the World Stocks Market in April presented a tapestry of gains, losses, and uncertainties intertwined with global events