Metals... Not Missles... Is the New Arms Race

China and Russia control 70% of the world's critical minerals, giving them leverage over the West. One N. American discovery could help shift that balance by developing the metals essential for defense systems.

Asia And Europe Markets Mixed, Gold Dips On Trade Truce Hope - Global Markets Today While US Slept

Akanksha Bakshi
April 29, 2025

On Monday, April 28, U.S. markets closed mixed, with the S&P 500 and Dow posting modest gains while the Nasdaq dipped. Weakness in mega caps like Nvidia and Amazon weighed on sentiment as investors awaited major tech earnings and key economic data. Uncertainty around trade policies and Sino-U.S. negotiations kept markets cautious despite recent stabilization.

In economic data, the Dallas Fed reported that Texas manufacturing activity weakened in April, with its general business activity index falling by 19.5 points to -35.8.

Most S&P 500 sectors advanced Monday, led by real estate, energy, and utilities, while consumer staples and tech lagged.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.28% to 40,227.59, the S&P 500 rose 0.06% to 5,528.75, while the Nasdaq declined 0.10% to 17,366.13.

Asia Markets Today

  • Japan's market closed for the Showa Day holiday.
  • On Tuesday, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.92%, ending the session at 8,070.60, led by gains in the Energy, Utilities, and Resources sectors.
  • India's Nifty 50 was up 0.05% at 24,336.50, and Nifty 500 rose 0.09% to 22,122.25.
  • China's Shanghai Composite slid 0.05% to 3,286.65, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 was down 0.17% at 3,775.08.
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 0.18% higher at 22,008.11.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

  • The European STOXX 50 index was up 0.02%.
  • Germany's DAX index gained 0.79%.
  • France's CAC 40 slid 0.03%.
  • U.K.'s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 0.09%.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

  • Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 1.24% at $61.28/bbl, and Brent was down 1.28% at $63.96/bbl.
  • Crude oil prices fell as U.S.-China trade tensions weakened demand expectations. OPEC+ output talks, refinery outages, and rising U.S. stockpiles added further pressure on prices.
  • Natural Gas fell 0.63% to $3.322.
  • Gold was trading lower by 0.80% at $3,320.89, Silver was up 0.93% to $33.313, and Copper rose 1.228% to $4.9516.
  • Gold prices fell as easing U.S. auto tariffs calmed trade fears.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.22%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.15 %, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.19%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

  • The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.33% to 99.26, USD/JPY was up 0.49% to 142.71, and USD/AUD gained 0.24% to 1.5586.
  • The U.S. dollar edged higher but remained on track for a sharp monthly loss amid tariff uncertainty and economic slowdown fears, while investors awaited key U.S. data and global trade updates.

Photo via Shutterstock

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