On Thursday, January 30, U.S. markets closed higher after a turbulent session, as optimistic remarks from Tesla helped offset Microsoft’s weak outlook. Stocks briefly dipped following Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, fueling economic concerns. Most S&P 500 sectors advanced, with Tesla gaining traction after Musk announced plans for affordable models and autonomous ride-hailing.
In economic data, U.S. jobless claims fell to 207,000, beating estimates, while economic growth slowed to 2.3% in Q4, down from 3.1% and below expectations of 2.6%. President Trump confirmed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports starting February 1.
Most S&P 500 sectors rose, led by utilities, real estate, and health care, while tech stocks declined.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.38% and closed at 44,882.13, the S&P 500 closed higher by 0.53% at 6,071.17, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.25% to finish at 19,681.75.
Aisa Markets Today
- On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed higher by 0.34% at 39,607.00, led by gains in the Rubber, Transport, and Glass sectors.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.45% at 8,532.30, led by gains in the Gold, IT, and Metals & Mining sectors.
- India’s Nifty 50 closed higher by 1.22% at 23,532.40, and the Nifty 500 rose 1.45%, closing at 21,606.00, led by gains in the Capital Goods, Consumer Durables, and Public Sector Undertakings sectors.
- China markets were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday.
Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET
- The European STOXX 50 was up 0.34%.
- Germany’s DAX rose 0189%.
- France’s CAC gained 0.36%.
- U.K.’s FTSE index 100 traded higher by 0.33%.
Commodities at 05:30 AM ET
- Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 0.05% at $72.75/bbl, and Brent was down 0.16% at $75.74/bbl.
- Oil prices steadied Friday but were set for a weekly decline as markets awaited Trump’s tariff decision on Mexico and Canada. Concerns over supply disruptions, U.S. sanctions, and the upcoming OPEC+ meeting kept prices volatile.
- Natural Gas gained 1.21% to $3.084.
- Gold was trading lower by 0.02% at $2,844.66, Silver was up 0.49% to $32.653, and Copper fell 0.46% to $4.2875.
U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET
- Dow futures were up 0.34%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.43% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.74%.
- U.S. stock futures rose Friday, driven by strong Apple earnings ahead of key inflation data.
Forex at 05:30 AM ET
- The U.S. Dollar Index gained 0.23% to 108.29, USD/JPY rose 0.36% to 154.73, and USD/AUD was down 0.16% to 1.6081.
- The U.S. dollar rose Friday after Trump’s fresh tariff threats. The yen slipped despite strong Tokyo inflation, and the pound remained vulnerable ahead of the Bank of England’s policy meeting.
By: Benzinga