Global Stock Market Index: 31st Dec ’23 Weekly Recap

The last week of 2023 was quite enthralling for the investors globally. While on the one hand, investors cheered for no more rate cut signals from the central banks in the US and UK, on the other hand, oil prices became highly volatile due to conflict between oil-producing nations along the Red Sea.  

However, the last week of the year offered some significant gains for investors across the globe, especially in the Asian Markets. 

Here is a snapshot of all the major indices this week

Index	Previous Day Change(%)	WoW Change (%)
Dow Jones	0.10	0.77
S&P 500	0.24	0.37
Nasdaq	0.45	0.22
FTSE	0.14	0.46
CAC	0.11	0.34
DAX	0.30	0.27
Gift Nifty	0.17	1.76
Nikkei 225	0.23	0.89
Straits Times	0.80	3.18
Hang Seng	0.02	4.33
Taiwan Weighted	0.11	1.90
KOSPI	1.57	2.13
SET Composite	0.38	0.78
Jakarta Composite	0.43	0.49
Shanghai Composite	0.68	2.06

World Stock Market Index: US Market

The US market was positive this week, with no more fear of further rate hikes as the inflation declined. However, on the last day of the year, the markets were sluggish, mostly due to the oil price tension and weakening US Dollar. 

“I don’t love the term, but if you were to describe what is happening, it’s definitely Goldilocks for the market,” said Jan Szilagyi, CEO and co-founder of Toggle AI. “Inflation’s coming down, the economy is still chugging along, and the hiking cycle’s over. On all of these macro trends, the rally has been justified.”

The major indices in the US performed well this week and offered gains on a WoW basis. The major rally was witnessed in Real Estate, industrials, and utility businesses.  However, on Friday, all of them were in the red. Let’s have a look. 

Dow Jones

This index gained 0.77% through the week while weakening on Friday and dipped 0.10%. 

S&P 500

Similarly, this broad equity market index lost 0.24% on Friday, but on a WoW basis, the index gained 0.37%

Nasdaq

This index lost the most on Friday, which is 0.45%; on a WoW basis, its gains were nominal at 0.22%.

World Stock Market Index: European Market

 The European market was higher this week for the same reasons as the US. The declining inflation is the main source of positivity in global markets, and European markets are no exception. However, the Red Sea conflict restricted the gains to some extent. 

FTSE

The FTSE index edged 0.14% on Friday while offering 0.46% gains for the holiday-shortened week. 

CAC

This index is one such index amongst all global indices this week, which offers negative returns on a WoW basis. It fell 0.34% over the week but was positive on Friday and gained 0.11%. 

DAX

This broad market index gained 0.27% on a WoW basis, and on Friday, it offered a 0.30% return to investors.  

Global Stock Market Index: Asian Market

Gift Nifty

This Indian index gained 1.76% through the week, with losses of 0.17% on Friday, mainly driven by the positive sentiments in the Indian market throughout the week and the major rally that took place on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Nikkei 225

This benchmark index for Tokyo’s market fell on Friday by 0.23%. However, it managed to return 0.89% to the investors on a WoW basis. 

Straits Times

This major broad market index of Singapore gained 3.18% through the week, one of the highest gains among the indices here. Even on Friday, this index gained 0.80%, mainly driven by positive sentiments in the Asian markets. 

Hang Seng

The highest-gaining index across the globe for the last week of 2023 was Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index. This index rose 4.33% through the week, with mere gains on Friday. 

Taiwan Weighted

The Taiwan market was also positive during the week though it became sluggish on Friday. It gained 1.90% on a WoW basis; on Friday, it went up only 0.11%. 

KOSPI

While most global indices slipped on Friday, this Korean index gained 1.57% during the last trading session of the year. On a WoW basis, the index gained 2.13%. 

SET Composite:

The markets in Thailand were mixed during the week, and thus, the broad market index SET Composite gained only 0.78% on a WoW basis, while on Friday, it went up by 0.38%. 

Jakarta Composite:

The market fell on Friday in Jakarta, and this broad market index lost 0.43%. However, the index delivered 0.49% returns through the week. 

Shanghai Composite

Another market that offered solid gains this week was Shanghai. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.06% during the week, and on Friday, it gained 0.68% as well. 

Wrapping up

Therefore, the last week of 2023 offered some solid gains to investors across the globe. The enthusiasm in the market was primarily affected by rate-cut possibilities in early 2024. However, volatility in the oil prices restricted major rallies across the global markets. 

*Disclaimer Note: The securities quoted, if any, are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. This article is for education purposes only and shall not be considered as recommendation or investment advice by Research & Ranking. We will not be liable for any losses that may occur. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by SEBI, membership of BASL, and certification from NISM in no way guarantee the performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.

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