Washington, June 23(HS): Rising tensions in the Middle East have led to signs of weakness in global markets today. The U.S. markets closed lower in the last session, with Dow Jones futures also showing declines. The S&P 500 index fell by 0.22 percent, ending at 5,967.84 points, while the Nasdaq dropped by 98.86 points, or 0.51 percent. Currently, Dow Jones futures are down by 133.04 points, or 0.32 percent, at 42,073.78 points. European markets, which had a strong showing previously, closed mixed, with the FTSE down 0.20 percent at 8,774.65 points, while the CAC increased by 0.48 percent and the DAX rose by 293.17 points, or 1.26 percent.

In Asia, selling pressure is evident, with eight out of nine markets trading in the red. The Shanghai Composite index is the sole gainer, up by 0.15 percent at 3,365.07 points. Conversely, the GIFT Nifty fell by 226 points, or 0.90 percent, while the Nikkei declined by 153.42 points, or 0.40 percent. Taiwan’s Weighted index dropped significantly by 344.61 points, or 1.56 percent, and the Jakarta Composite slipped by 96.32 points, or 1.39 percent, among other declines across various indices.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar