Global Stock Market Index: 14th April ’24 Weekly Recap

The global market fell into a bearish grip this week as investor sentiment was impacted by worrisome US economic data, weak quarterly earnings from major US banks, the Middle Eastern crisis pushing up oil prices, and the world’s second-largest economy crisis. 

Crude oil prices have increased by nearly 20% in 2024, and Gold is also hitting new highs every other week. This suggests investors are moving towards safe-haven assets in response to the struggling global economy.

A quick look at the global market performance last week

Index	Previous Day Change (%)	WoW Change (%)
US Markets
Dow Jones	-1.24	-2.37
S&P 500	-1.46	-1.56
Nasdaq	-1.65	-0.47
European Markets
FTSE	0.90	1.07
CAC	-0.16	-0.63
DAX	-0.13	-1.35
Asian Markets
Nifty 50	-1.03	0.23
Nikkei 225	0.20	1.36
Straits Times	-0.33	–0.04
Hang Seng	-2.23	-0.01
Taiwan Weighted	-0.08	1.56
KOSPI	-0.94	-1.19
SET Composite	-0.84	1.64
Jakarta Composite	0.45	1.14
Shanghai Composite	-0.49	-0.91

World Market Index: US Markets

After posting positive job and unemployment numbers for March last week, the US market fell this week as inflation started to rise again, and banking majors reported weak earnings for the first quarter. 

Also, technology stocks witnessed substantial losses driven by concerns over supply chain woes. Now, the focus is on the Federal Reserve’s future action, especially when inflation is rising again. The market will likely be volatile and more prone to bearish events in the short term. 

Dow Jones

The broad sell-off in the equity market most affected the Dow Jones Industrial Average index. On Friday, the index fell by 1.24%, and on a week-on-week basis, it reported a loss of 2.37%. 

S&P 500

The weak first-quarter earnings from major banks and surprise inflation resulted in a pullback in the index. S&P 500 was down by 1.46% on Friday and concluded the week with a cumulative loss of 1.56%. 

Nasdaq

Supply chain disruptions and news from China, where the country intends to replace imported commodities with domestically produced items, resulted in a sell-off of IT stocks on Friday. China is a major market for large technology businesses, and this development could impact their earnings. 

On Friday, the index was down by 1.65%, and on a weekly basis, it was down by 0.47%. 

World Market Index: European Markets

Amidst the choppy global market condition, the European market traded with a positive bias during the week. The European Central Bank kept the interest rate steady for a fifth consecutive meeting. However, it gave a clear signal that it will move forward with a planned rate cut in the coming months despite the uncertainty over the Federal Reserve move. 

FTSE

The UK economy reported that its economic output increased by 0.1% in February, which was in line with expectation. However, the Office of National Statistics has forecast another year of sluggish economic growth for the country. 

The FTSE traded with a positive bias during the week. With gains of 0.90% on Friday, the index concluded the week with 1.07% gains. 

CAC

Losses in the financials, industrials, and oil and gas sectors pulled the index down during the week. At the close on Friday, the CAC 40 index declined by 0.16% to hit a one-month low. On a weekly basis, the index was down 0.63%. 

DAX

Despite rising inflation in the US, the German market was resilient during the week. However, the DAX, its primary stock market index, was slightly weak during the week. On Friday, the index was slightly down by 0.13%, and on a week-on-week basis, it was down by 1.35%. 

World Market Index: Asian Markets

The Asian market had a mixed week and did not respond strongly to the US inflation data. China made headlines this week as its economy continued to struggle. Year on year, China’s exports fell 7.5% in March. Also, a 99% decline in China’s Tianrui Group Cement stock price in 15 minutes alarmed investors, highlighting the property sector’s troubles. 

Nifty 50

The Indian market rallied throughout the week, allowing the Nifty 50 and the Sensex to reach new highs. However, a sell-off in Friday’s session, which dropped the Nifty 50 by 1.03%, resulted in the index closing nearly flat on a weekly basis. On a weekly basis, the Nifty 50 was up by 0.23%. 

Nikkei 225

With the Yen tumbling to 34 years record low levels against the Dollar on US inflations raised the probability of government intervention to arrest the decline. This impacted investor sentiment. On Friday, the Nikkei traded range bound and was up by 0.20%. And, on a week-on-week basis, the index was up by 1.36%. 

Straits Times

Following the global cues, Singapore stocks closed lower on Friday and down by 0.33%. On a week-on-week basis, the index closed flat with a minor loss of 0.04%. 

Hang Seng

Hong Kong’s primary stock market index, Hang Seng, declined by 2.26% on Friday. Weak Chinese economic data, coupled with weakness in tech and property stocks, contributed to the losses. On a week-over-week basis, the index closed flat. 

Taiwan Weighted

In contrast to the global and regional cues, Taiwan Weighted traded positively. On Friday, the index traded flat but increased by 1.56% weekly. 

KOSPI

The primary benchmark of South Korea, the KOSPI Composite benchmark, traded weak during the week. The Bank of Korea has kept the rates unchanged for the tenth straight meeting. On Friday, the index was down by 0.94% and concluded the week with a cumulative loss of 1.19%. 

SET Composite

After the country’s central bank held key interest rates constant, the SET Composite, Thailand’s primary stock exchange, fell 0.84%, bringing the index’s weekly gain to 1.64%. 

Jakarta Composite

The Indonesian index, Jakarta Composite, traded higher during the week. The index was up by 0.45% on Friday and 1.14% week on week.

Shanghai Composite

Economic woes continued to impact China’s premiere stock market index. On Friday, the index was down by 0.49%, and on a week-on-week basis, it concluded with a cumulative loss of 0.91%. 

Wrapping Up

Global markets are poised for increased volatility amidst rising inflationary pressures, weak economic data from major economies, and geopolitical tensions. Investors are closely monitoring central bank actions and corporate earnings reports for cues on market direction and keeping a cautious note of all market developments. 

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