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 MarketThe Japanese yen steadied around 156.8 per dollar on Friday, but was still set to lose more than 1% for the week as investors prepared for this weekend’s lower house elections. The currency came under pressure amid expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will win voter backing for increased spending and potential tax cuts, raising concerns over Japan’s fiscal outlook. Uncertainty over how the government would fund its ambitious plans and offset potential revenue losses weighed on markets. Investors are also awaiting Japan’s Q4 GDP report next week, which is expected to rebound after a sharp contraction in the previous quarter. Takaichi recently noted that a weak yen could benefit exporters, later clarifying that her comments aimed to promote an economy resilient to currency swings. The yen had rallied as much as 4.5% in late January amid speculation of a US-Japan joint currency intervention but has since surrendered more than half of those gains.
