New Delhi, September 17 (HS) : Global markets signaled weakness today as U.S. and European equities remained under pressure, while Asian indices opened mixed in early trade today. Investors stayed cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s key interest rate decision, keeping overall sentiment subdued.

On Wall Street, major indices ended marginally lower. The S&P 500 slipped 0.13% to close at 6,606.76, while the Nasdaq edged down 0.07% to 22,333.96. Dow Jones Futures, however, showed minor gains, trading 0.05 points higher at 45,757.95.

European markets also witnessed persistent selling. London’s FTSE index dropped 0.88% to 9,195.66, France’s CAC fell 1.01% to 7,818.22, and Germany’s DAX plunged 419.62 points, or 1.80%, to settle at 23,329.24.

Asian markets presented a mixed picture, with five out of nine major indices trading in the green, while four remained in decline. South Korea’s KOSPI shed 0.77% to 3,422.99, Taiwan Weighted dipped 0.41% to 25,524.69, Singapore’s Straits Times slipped 0.29% to 4,325.07, and Thailand’s SET Composite eased 0.12% to 1,306.63.

On the other hand, gains were led by Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, which surged 383 points or 1.45% to 26,822. Japan’s Nikkei inched up 0.14% to 44,964, Shanghai Composite advanced 0.41% to 3,877.55, Jakarta Composite rose 0.11% to 7,966.63, and Gift Nifty traded 0.18% higher at 25,381.

The global mood remains cautious, with traders awaiting clarity from the Fed on interest rate policies that could influence market direction in the coming sessions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar