Global Markets Stumble as Energy Prices Slide

U.S. equity futures point to a soft start, with the S&P 500 down 0.3% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edging 0.1% lower. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 remains largely stagnant. Individual stock movements show a sharp divergence: Sodexo gained 6.4% and Amplifon jumped 5.3%, contrasting with ASM International and Gerresheimer, which shed 4.1% and 3.7% respectively. The FTSE 100 dipped 0.1%, while France’s CAC 40 eked out a 0.3% gain.

Currency and bond markets reflect this underlying volatility. The Wall Street Journal Dollar Index slipped 0.2% to 97.49. Meanwhile, yields on 10-year U.S. Treasurys rose slightly to 4.495%, and German Bund yields climbed to 2.904%. Commodities are seeing mixed activity; while oil benchmarks slumped, European natural gas prices increased 1.3% to 43.58 euros per megawatt hour. Across Asia, the landscape remains uneven, with the Shanghai Composite falling 2% alongside the Nikkei’s decline, though Hong Kong’s Hang Seng managed a modest 0.4% advance.