Global markets moved higher Thursday, supported by renewed investor confidence following the reopening of the U.S. federal government after the longest shutdown in the nation’s history. The 43-day funding lapse ended after President Donald Trump signed a temporary budget bill passed by Congress to resume government operations. Trump accused Democrats of trying to “extort American taxpayers” during the shutdown and urged voters not to “forget this” in next year’s midterm elections.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index rose 0.06% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.68% on Wednesday, closing at a record high, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.26%. U.S. index futures opened higher Thursday after the government reopened. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes steadied at around 4.09% after briefly dipping to 4.06%, while the dollar index edged up 0.1% to 99.5, ending a four-day losing streak. Gold extended its rally for a fifth straight session, rising 0.3% to $4,208 an ounce, while Brent crude slipped slightly by 0.1% to $62.50 a barrel.
European stocks also advanced, buoyed by optimism surrounding the U.S. government’s reopening. The UK’s FTSE 100 gained 0.12%, Italy’s FTSE MIB 30 rose 0.80%, France’s CAC 40 climbed 1.04%, and Germany’s DAX 40 added 1.22%. European index futures pointed to further gains on Thursday. In Asia, markets were mostly higher, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 0.3%, South Korea’s Kospi advancing 0.6%, and China’s Shanghai Composite gaining 0.5%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slipped 0.5%. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reiterated that the central bank continues to target moderate inflation alongside wage growth, aligning with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s broader strategy for sustained economic recovery.
