S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
Australian equities rose 62 points, or 0.7%, to 8,727 in early deals on Friday, the first trading day of May, snapping an eight-session losing streak and bouncing back from a three-week low. Bargain hunting drove broad-based gains, with non-energy minerals and industrial services leading. An upward revision in April manufacturing PMI also lifted investor sentiment despite weaker output and soft underlying demand at home and abroad. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures strengthened following record-high closes on Wall Street’s S&P 500 and Nasdaq Thursday, amid strong earnings from Apple and Caterpillar, even as economic data weakened and geopolitical risks linger. Lynas Rare Earths jumped 3.1%, followed by BHP Group (2.8%), Evolution Mining (2.2%), and Fortescue (1.4%). However, markets are tracking a third straight weekly drop, down about 0.7% so far, as persistent inflation pressures weigh. Concerns also linger that the Reserve Bank may raise cash rates further when officials meet next week.
