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 MarketU.S. natural gas futures surged more than 20% to $4.7 per MMBtu on Wednesday, the highest level since early January, extending gains of about 26% earlier in the week as sharply colder weather forecasts triggered a weather-driven rally. Forecasts already pointed to very cold conditions over the weekend but shifted on Monday toward much colder scenarios as the polar vortex expanded, allowing Arctic air to spill across much of the Northern Hemisphere. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center issued a high priority alert for extreme Arctic cold and potential winter storms across the central and eastern US through month end, driven by a well established negative Arctic Oscillation drawing frigid Canadian air deep into the country. The most severe cold is expected in the final week of January, sharply lifting residential and commercial heating demand expectations. Meanwhile, US gas production remains elevated and LNG export flows are modestly lower.
