Global stock markets experienced gains on Thursday. As trading concluded in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was calculated at 48,186 points, representing a 0.6 percent increase from the previous day. A slightly broader market indicator, the S&P 500, was up 0.6 percent, reaching approximately 6,825 points, while the technology-focused Nasdaq 100 was assessed at around 25,082 points, up by 0.7 percent.
Market participants appear to be focusing on the positive developments of the day, despite the fragile continuation of the ceasefire between the US and Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced negotiations with Lebanon, and US President Donald Trump stated that Israel is refraining from attacks on Lebanon. Furthermore, for the first time since the ceasefire began, a non-Iranian tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz.
In the foreign exchange market, the European common currency strengthened on Thursday evening: the Euro was priced at $1.1698 per US Dollar, meaning one dollar exchanged for 0.8548 Euros. The price of gold also saw an uptick, with fine ounces valued at $4,768 by the evening, a 1.0 percent gain. This translated to a price of €131.05 per gram. Meanwhile, oil prices rose sharply; at around 10:00 PM German time, a barrel of North Sea Brent crude cost $97.18, marking a substantial increase of 2.6 percent compared to the previous day’s closing figures.
