NEW YORK, New York – U.S. stocks rose Thursday despite a dip in Nvidia following its earnings results which were below expectations. Nonetheless, technology stocks led the charge, although the stand-out index was the Standard and Poor’s 500 which closed above 6,500 for the first time – notching up a new record high for the second day in a row.

Wall Street Overview

• The S&P 500 rose 20.46 points to finish at 6,501.86, a gain of 0.32 percent. The index hit a fresh high as gains in information technology and communication services outweighed softness in consumer staples.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 71.67 points, closing at 45,636.90, up 0.16 percent. The blue-chip index saw support from industrial and healthcare names but lagged behind the broader market’s pace.

• The NASDAQ Composite advanced 115.02 points to close at 21,705.16, marking a gain of 0.53 percent. Tech giants continued to outperform amid optimism around AI-driven revenue growth and solid earnings momentum across the sector.

Volume was strong across the board, with over 2.5 billion shares traded on the S&P 500 and nearly 6.9 billion shares changing hands on the NASDAQ.

Thursday’s Forex Market Update: 

The global foreign exchange market saw a mixed session on Thursday, with the U.S. dollar weakening against several major currencies as investors continued to react to President Trump’s decision to weaken the independence of the Federal Reserve by firing Governor Lisa Cook. The firing is now being challenged in a court action by Cook, which will be heard on Friday. Commodity-linked currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars posted the strongest gains.

Major Currency Pairs: Performance Overview

• The Euro / US Dollar (EUR/USD) rose to 1.1683, gaining 0.39 percent. The euro advanced as eurozone bond yields edged higher and traders bet on a more hawkish tone from the European Central Bank in upcoming communications.

• The US Dollar / Japanese Yen (USD/JPY) slipped to 146.91, down 0.32 percent. The yen benefited from a risk-off tilt in Asian markets and mild dollar softness.

• The US Dollar / Canadian Dollar (USD/CAD) declined to 1.3751, a move of 0.28 percent lower. A recovery in oil prices and stronger-than-expected Canadian economic data supported the loonie.

• The British Pound / US Dollar (GBP/USD) ticked up to 1.3511, gaining 0.10 percent. Sterling was supported by a modest rebound in UK consumer confidence and stabilization in gilt markets.

• The US Dollar / Swiss Franc (USD/CHF) edged lower to 0.8015, down 0.06 percent. The Swiss franc held firm as traders continued to view it as a safe-haven amid geopolitical uncertainties.

• The Australian Dollar / US Dollar (AUD/USD) climbed to 0.6531, a strong gain of 0.41 percent. The Aussie dollar rallied alongside commodities and improving sentiment in Asia-Pacific equities.

• The New Zealand Dollar / US Dollar (NZD/USD) advanced to 0.5885, up 0.45 percent, marking the strongest performance among major currency pairs. The kiwi gained on a combination of risk appetite and short covering.

Summary Table: Thursday FX Moves

Global Stock Market Wrap: Thursday, August 28, 2025

Global stock markets saw a mixed session on Thursday, with modest movements across Europe, Asia, and other major markets. While some indices showed strength, others pulled back amid sector-specific pressures and cautious investor sentiment.

Canada 

• The S&P/TSX Composite Index in Toronto closed at 28,434.80, up just 1.80 points, or 0.01 percent. Resource and energy names were mixed, while bank shares showed mild strength following earnings updates from two major lenders.

UK and Europe

The European markets delivered a mostly flat-to-lower performance, with gains in France and the broader Eurozone offset by weakness in the UK and Belgium.

• The FTSE 100 (UK) closed at 9,216.82, down 38.68 points, a decline of 0.42 percent. Losses in the utilities and tech sectors weighed heavily on the index.

• The DAX (Germany) ended at 24,039.92, slipping 6.29 points, or 0.03 percent.

• The CAC 40 (France) advanced to 7,762.60, up 18.67 points, or 0.24 percent.

• The EURO STOXX 50 finished at 5,396.73, gaining 3.66 points, or 0.07 percent.

• The Euronext 100 rose slightly to 1,600.72, adding 0.88 points, or 0.06 percent.

• The BEL 20 (Belgium) dropped 12.85 points to close at 4,823.97, a fall of 0.27 percent.

Asia and Pacific

Asia-Pacific markets delivered a more positive tone overall, though some regional indices, including Taiwan and India, faced notable declines.

• The Nikkei 225 (Japan) climbed to 42,828.79, rising 308.52 points, or 0.73 percent.

• The Shanghai Composite (China) closed at 3,843.60, up 43.25 points, a gain of 1.14 percent.

• The Hang Seng Index (Hong Kong) fell sharply to 24,998.82, down 202.94 points, or 0.81 percent.

• The KOSPI Composite Index (South Korea) ended at 3,196.32, gaining 9.16 points, or 0.29 percent.

• The TWSE (Taiwan) slid to 24,236.45, a decline of 283.45 points, or 1.16 percent.

• The S&P/ASX 200 (Australia) rose 19.50 points to 8,980.00, an increase of 0.22 percent.

• The All Ordinaries (Australia) added 10.00 points, closing at 9,241.10, up 0.11 percent.

• The S&P BSE Sensex (India) dropped to 80,080.57, losing 705.97 points, or 0.87 percent.

• The IDX Composite (Indonesia) ended at 7,952.09, up 15.91 points, a gain of 0.20 percent.

• The KLSE (Malaysia) dipped 0.84 points to 1,587.07, down 0.05 percent.

• The S&P/NZX 50 (New Zealand) gained 41.24 points to close at 12,903.08, an increase of 0.32 percent.

• The STI Index (Singapore) advanced 8.21 points to 4,253.78, up 0.19 percent.

Middle East & Africa

Markets in the Middle East and Africa were generally stable, with slight movements on either side.

• The TA‑125 Index (Israel) closed at 3,129.62, down 3.97 points, or 0.13 percent.

• The EGX 30 (Egypt) rose to 35,727.20, gaining 51.00 points, a 0.14 percent increase.

• The JSE Top 40 (South Africa) closed at 5,725.38, up 13.64 points, or 0.24 percent.

Market Drivers

In the UK, the FTSE was pressured by steep declines in utilities and tech shares. Drax Group dropped nearly 9.7 percent, with other utility names including Centrica, SSE, and United Utilities also falling between 1.4 and 1.7 percent. A broader European tech selloff—exacerbated by disappointing earnings from Nvidia—also dragged on sentiment.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei led the region with strong gains, supported by buying in large-cap tech and manufacturing names. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s TWSE fell over 1 percent, making it one of the region’s worst performers for the day.

Index Summary Table

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