Asia Market Mixed, Europe Gains On Tariff Optimism; Gold Edges Higher – Global Markets Today While US Slept – SmartETFs Asia Pacific Dividend Builder ETF (ARCA:ADIV)

On Monday, March 24th, U.S. markets closed higher. The S&P 500 rallied to a multi-week high, driven by gains in tech stocks like Nvidia and Tesla amid hopes for a softer stance on tariffs from the Trump administration. While investors welcomed the rebound, concerns remain over the broader impact of tariffs on growth and profits as companies continue to lower their earnings forecasts.

According to economic data, the Chicago Fed index rose to 0.18 in February from -0.08 in January. The Services PMI increased to 54.3 in March from 51 in February, while the Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.8 from 52.7.

Most S&P 500 sectors rose Monday, led by consumer discretionary on Tesla’s gains and advances in communication services and industrials. Utilities were the only sector to edge lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.42% to 42,583.32, the S&P 500 up 1.76% to 5,767.57, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.27% to 18,188.59.

Asia Markets Today

On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed the session higher by 0.52% at 37,805.00, led by gains in the Power, Rubber and Chemical, Petroleum & Plastic sectors.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.07% and closed at 7,942.50, led by gains in the IT, Healthcare and Industrials sectors.
India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.07% to 23,674.95, while Nifty 500 was down 0.46% at 21,440.35.
China’s Shanghai Composite was flat, closing at 3,369.98, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 slid 0.06% to 3,932.30.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 2.35%, ending the session at 23,344.25.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

The European STOXX 50 was up 0.66%.
Germany’s DAX gained 0.53%.
France’s CAC rose 0.76%.
U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.42%.
European stocks inched higher as investors weighed mixed signals on U.S. tariffs. Optimism over limited trade measures was tempered by new tariff threats.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.64% at $69.55/bbl, and Brent was up 0.58% at $72.79/bbl.
Oil prices rose for a fifth straight day on fears of tighter global supply after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Venezuelan crude buyers. Sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, along with potential flexibility on broader tariffs, added to market uncertainty.
Natural Gas gained 0.68% to $3.981.
Gold was trading higher by 0.31% at $3,053.61, Silver was up 0.85% to $33.737, and Copper gained 0.84% to $5.1360.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.10%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.11% and Nasdaq 100 futures slid 0.23%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

The U.S. Dollar Index slid 0.05% to 104.27, USD/JPY was down 0.07% to 150.55, and USD/AUD declined 0.19% to 1.5878.
The dollar climbed to a near three-week high, supported by strong U.S. services data and hopes for more targeted tariffs.

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