World equities traded mostly higher on Thursday, with strong gains in Asia and Europe balancing cautious sentiment in parts of the Middle East. The rally was fueled by optimism in technology shares, resilient labor data in Europe, and policy moves in Africa, while U.S. investors kept a close eye on Washington’s budget standoff.
ASIA/PACIFIC
Asian stocks advanced strongly, led by a surge in technology shares amid continued enthusiasm over artificial intelligence. Mainland Chinese markets remained closed for the National Day holiday, but Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rallied 1.6% as traders returned from the break. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rebounded 0.9% after four straight sessions of losses, while South Korea’s Kospi soared nearly 3% to a record high on strength in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.13%, with gold miners and major banks leading the rally.
EUROPE
European markets closed mostly higher, underpinned by encouraging labor data. The Eurozone’s unemployment rate edged down to 6.3% in August, while Spain reported a modest decline and Italy’s jobless rate held steady. Switzerland’s annual inflation was unchanged at 0.2%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 rose 0.6%, hitting an all-time high during the session. Germany’s DAX led major bourses with a 1.35% advance, while London’s FTSE 100 added 0.14% after reaching a record high the previous day.
AMERICAS
U.S. stocks extended their winning streak to a fifth session, with all major indexes closing at record highs. Gains in the AI sector helped counterbalance concerns over the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. The Nasdaq climbed 0.4% after OpenAI finalized a $500 billion employee share deal, while the Dow added 0.2% and the S&P 500 ended slightly higher.
AFRICA
African markets were mixed. Johannesburg’s FTSE/JSE All Share Index fell 0.52%, while Nigeria’s NGX All Share Index edged up 0.19%. Egypt’s EGX30 gained 0.4%, supported by a 1.3% rise in Commercial International Bank. The Central Bank of Egypt cut interest rates by 100 basis points — its fourth reduction in 2025 — bringing the overnight deposit rate to 21% and the lending rate to 22%, in line with expectations.
MIDDLE EAST
Gulf markets ended mixed as weaker oil prices weighed on sentiment. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell 0.3%, pressured by declines in Al Rajhi Bank (-1.1%) and Saudi National Bank (-1.8%). In contrast, Dubai rose 0.5%, led by Emaar Properties (+1.9%), while Abu Dhabi advanced 0.4%. Qatar’s index slipped 0.8% on losses in Qatar Islamic Bank (-1.5%). Elsewhere, Bahrain gained 0.1%, Oman edged down 0.2%, and Kuwait retreated 0.4%.