Stocks rebound in Europe and Japan as China takes a holiday following record week

By Ian MountMadrid-based Editor
Ian MountMadrid-based Editor

Ian Mount is a Madrid-based editor at Fortune.

The Nikkei 225 Index today.
The Nikkei 225 Index today.
Google

After China’s stocks closed out their best week since 2008—and the Shanghai Stock Exchange index posted a 8.06% gain Monday, its biggest jump since 2008—China’s markets closed for Golden Week holidays.

Markets in Japan and Europe picked up the slack though, notching modest gains.

  • S&P 500 Futures: 5,810.75 ⬇️ down 0.06%
  • S&P 500: 5,762.48 ⬆️ up 0.42%
  • Nasdaq Composite: 18,189.17 ⬆️ up 0.38%
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average: 42,330.15 ⬆️ up 0.04% 
  • STOXX Europe 600: 523.94 ⬆️ up 0.20%
  • Nikkei 225: 38,651.97 ⬆️ up 1.93%
  • Bitcoin: $63,939.20 ⬆️ up 1.15%

Japan: Markets recover on positive economic indicators

A day after dropping 4.8% on the election of Shigeru Ishiba to be new prime minister—a choice that was expected to strengthen the yen and make Japanese exports less competitive—the Nikkei 225 rebounded 1.93%. It came after economic indicators showed steady business confidence among large manufacturers as well as falling unemployment. Heavy industry companies Kawasaki and Mitsubishi led the way with gains around 8%.

Europe: Indexes rise slightly as investors digest inflation data

European stocks notched modest gains, with the STOXX Europe 600 rising 0.20% and the U.K. FTSE 100 stepping up 0.30% in early Monday trading. Investors focused on today’s release of preliminary September inflation data for the Eurozone, which came in at 1.8%—in line with economists’ expectations and below the European Central Bank’s target of 2%. The dovish reading will be seen as boosting the chances for another rate cut from the ECB. Germany’s Covestro led the STOXX with a 3.7% gain in early trading after Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC said that it would buy the chemicals group for €15.9 billion ($17.7 billion).

U.S. pre-market trading treads water as markets await data

All three U.S. indexes treaded water in pre-market trading Tuesday, as investors awaited Nike earnings, which come after the closing bell, and the big September jobs report which drops Friday.

The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 take a roller-coaster ride

On Friday, the Dow rose 0.04%—hitting yet another new record—while the S&P 500 rose 0.42% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.38%. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell sent the market on a rollercoaster ride after saying in prepared remarks that the Fed would continue cutting interest rates—but left the timeline open and suggested he wasn’t in a rush as the market is currently “recalibrating.” All three U.S. indexes dropped before and shortly after Powell’s speech, but within a few hours of the Dow’s triple-digit plummet, indexes were in the green again.

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