Stock markets rebounded amidst comments by some Fed officials that implied a less than 100 basis-points rate hike by the Fed in the ensuing review in July. Positive updates on the earnings scorecard also helped shore up sentiment across stock markets. China's assurances of policy support also added to the positive sentiment.
Asian stock markets moved higher. The Wall Street Futures are trading in positive territory. European stocks are trading significantly higher.
The Dollar Index retreated from the 20-year high of 109.29 touched on Thursday. Bond yields hardened again, ahead of the ECB's Thursday meeting, widely expected to herald rate hikes after almost a decade. Crude Oil prices rebounded amidst supply tightness and dollar weakness. Gold gained as the Dollar retreated in response to markets factoring in a softer rate hike by the Fed. Cryptocurrencies mostly traded in green zone.
Here is a snapshot of the world markets at this hour across stocks, currencies, bonds, commodities and cryptocurrencies.
Stock Indexes:
DJIA (US30) at 31,542.20, up 0.81% S&P 500 (US500) at 3,899.80, up 0.95% Germany's DAX at 13,022.42, up 1.23% U.K.'s FTSE 100 at 7,247.23, up 1.23% France's CAC 40 at 6,113.96, up 1.29% Euro Stoxx 50 at 3,522.75, up 1.31% Japan's Nikkei 225 at 26,788.47, up 0.54% (July,15)Australia's S&P ASX 200 at 6,687.10, up 1.23% China's Shanghai Composite at 3,278.10, up 1.55% Hong Kong's Hang Seng at 20,846.18, up 2.70%
Currencies:
EURUSD at 1.0152, up 0.64%GBPUSD at 1.1976, up 1.05%USDJPY at 138.19, down 0.24%AUDUSD at 0.6836, up 0.66%USDCAD at 1.2975, down 0.42%Dollar Index at 107.33, down 0.67%
Ten-Year Govt Bond Yields:
U.S. at 2.958%, up 0.95% Germany at 1.2170%, up 8.18%France at 1.845%, up 6.37%U.K. at 2.1515%, up 2.94%Japan at 0.224%, down 4.27%
Commodities:
Crude Oil WTI Futures (Sep) at $96.39, up 1.92%Brent Oil Futures (Sep) at $103.21, up 2.03%Gold Futures (Aug) at $1,721.05, up 1.02%
Cryptocurrencies:
Bitcoin at $21,232.74, down 0.79%Ethereum at $1,401.21, up 3.13%BNB at $254.18, up 0.05% XRP at $0.356, up 0.92%Cardano at $0.4591, up 0.92%
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.