Photo by Aleksandr Popov on Unsplash
 

By the end of Tuesday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 1.43%. The S&P 500 Index (US500) gained 0.91%. The technology-focused Nasdaq Index (US100) closed higher by 0.67%. Traders assessed the prospects for artificial intelligence development and the possible imminent rate cut by the Fed. The growth was led by the communication services, healthcare, and materials sectors. The technology sector overall lagged, although some major companies showed notable gains: Alphabet rose by 1.6%, and Meta jumped by 3.8%, following reports that Meta is considering a multibillion-dollar deal to purchase Google’s AI chips. In contrast, Nvidia fell by 2.6% and has lost about 15% since the beginning of the month. If the trend continues, November could become the company’s worst month since September 2022. Oracle (-1.6%) and AMD (-4.2%) also declined.

European stocks mostly rose on Tuesday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) gained 0.97%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.83%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) increased by 1.08%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed positive 0.78%. Germany’s GDP in the third quarter remained unchanged, as falling exports and weakening private consumption heightened concerns about the outlook for Europe’s largest economy. Nevertheless, the data release had little impact on expectations regarding ECB policy: markets still assume that interest rates will remain unchanged until the end of 2026.

On Tuesday, WTI oil prices fell by about 2%, dropping to $57.7 per barrel, the lowest level in the past five weeks. Pressure on prices intensified after reports that Ukraine had agreed to the terms of a revised peace agreement aimed at ending the war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that negotiations with the US are ongoing, while Russia’s position remains uncertain. A potential end to the conflict could significantly affect oil markets. Any increase in Russian production in the event of eased restrictions could heighten the risk of oversupply.

The US natural gas prices fell nearly 5%, dropping to around $4.4 per million MMBtu. Prices were pressured by record production volumes and high inventory levels, ensuring an abundant supply in the market. At the same time, LNG exports continue to grow: in November, shipments from the eight largest US terminals averaged 18 billion cubic feet per day, surpassing October’s record (16.6 billion cubic feet per day).

Asian markets also traded without a unified trend yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 0.07%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) gained 0.87%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) increased by 0.69%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) closed positively at 1.38%.

At its final meeting of the year, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) lowered the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%, in line with market expectations, bringing borrowing costs to their lowest level since mid-2022. The regulator emphasized that the decision reflects significant unused capacity in the economy and easing inflationary pressures. The Monetary Policy Committee stressed that subsequent decisions will depend on updated data and the outlook for the economy and inflation.

The Australian dollar strengthened on Wednesday to 0.650 USD, reaching a weekly high, after higher-than-expected inflation data reinforced expectations of continued tight policy by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Headline inflation in October accelerated to 3.8%, the highest in seven months, exceeding projections. Markets now see minimal chances of policy easing before May next year, and some analysts believe the rate-cutting cycle may already be over.

• S&P 500 (US500) 6,765.88 +60.76 (+0.91%)
• Dow Jones (US30) 47,112.45 +664.18 (+1.43%)
• DAX (DE40) 23,464.63 +225.45 (+0.97%)
• FTSE 100 (UK100) 9,609.53 +74.62 (+0.78%)
• USD Index 99.80 -0.34% (-0.34%)
   

News feed for: 2025.11.26

• Australia Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 02:30 (GMT+2); – AUD (HIGH)
• New Zealand RBNZ Interest Rate Decision at 03:00 (GMT+2); – NZD (HIGH)
• New Zealand RBNZ Rate Statement at 03:00 (GMT+2); – NZD (HIGH)
• New Zealand RBNZ Press Conference at 04:00 (GMT+2); – NZD (MED)
• UK Autumn Prognosis Statement at 14:30 (GMT+2); – GBP (HIGH)
• US Initial Jobless Claims (w/w) at 15:30 (GMT+2); – USD (MED)
• US Durable Goods Orders (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2); – USD (MED)
• US GDP (q/q) at 15:30 (GMT+2); – USD (MED)
• US PCE Price index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+2); – USD (HIGH)
• US Chicago PMI (m/m) at 16:45 (GMT+2); – USD (MED)
• US Crude Oil Reserves (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+2); – WTI (HIGH)
• US Natural Gas Storage (w/w) at 19:00 (GMT+2); – XNG (HIGH)
• New Zealand Retail Sales (m/m) at 23:45 (GMT+2). – NZD (MED)

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