World equities delivered a mixed performance today as investors weighed the uncertain path of U.S. interest rates against regional developments. Sentiment remained cautious after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that equity prices appear “fairly highly valued by many measures” and signaled no clear trajectory for rate cuts. His remarks reinforced concerns over the near-term outlook, leaving markets to navigate a challenging policy environment.
ASIA/PACIFIC
In Asia-Pacific, markets ended on a mixed note. China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.8%, supported by renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rallied 1.4%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.3%, whereas South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.4%. Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 fell 0.92% after inflation data showed consumer prices rising at the fastest pace in a year, reducing expectations of further policy easing. New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 rose 0.3% after Anna Breman was appointed as the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, marking the first time a woman has held the role. She will begin her five-year term on December 1.
EUROPE
European markets also closed mixed. The pan-European Stoxx 600 settled broadly flat, with the UK’s FTSE 100 and Germany’s DAX up 0.29% and 0.23%, respectively. In contrast, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.57% and Switzerland’s SMI declined 1.02%. Gains were recorded in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Russia, and Sweden, while markets in the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Spain ended weaker. Austria and the Netherlands closed unchanged.
AMERICAS
U.S. stocks closed lower for a second consecutive session as investors weighed mixed signals from Federal Reserve officials on interest rates. Data showing new U.S. single-family home sales rising to a 3½-year high in August, supported by easing mortgage rates and builder discounts, did little to lift sentiment. The Dow Jones fell 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 each lost about 0.3%.
AFRICA
Across Africa, South Africa’s FTSE/JSE All Share rose 0.69%, while Nigeria’s NGX All Share dropped 0.15% after the central bank cut its key lending rate by 50 basis points to 27%, marking its first reduction in four years. Egypt’s blue-chip index jumped 1.8%, boosted by a 3.2% surge in Commercial International Bank, extending the previous session’s gains.
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index surged 5.1%, its strongest single-day performance in more than five years, after the Capital Market Authority signaled potential reforms that would allow foreign investors to hold majority stakes in listed companies. The move is expected to attract significant foreign inflows into the kingdom’s market. In contrast, Abu Dhabi’s index fell 1.3%, while Qatar declined 0.9% in its fourth consecutive loss. Bahrain finished flat at 1,948 points, Oman edged up 0.5%, and Kuwait slipped 0.9%.