U.S. stock markets move higher ahead of holiday break

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets swept higher on Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, amidst falling U.S. Treasury yields.

"I'd probably be leaning more towards the camp at this rally could continue a little bit longer," Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist at Allianz Investment Management told CNBC Wednesday. "A soft landing from the Fed [is] becoming more and more of a possibility as inflation continues to come down. ... Against that backdrop, as we head into 2024, I think equities will continue to perform pretty well."

In a day of measured movements, U.S. stock markets closed with decent gains on Wednesday. Here's a roundup of the closing stock market quotes for key indices:

S&P 500 (^GSPC): The S&P 500 closed at 4,555.60, showing a positive movement of +17.41 points or +0.38 percent.

Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI): The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day at 35,260.04, reflecting a gain of +171.75 points or +0.49 percent.

NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC): The NASDAQ Composite closed at 14,267.66 Wednesday, marking an increase of +67.68 points or +0.48 percent.

Investors in U.S. markets witnessed a day of subdued yet positive movements across major indices. Market participants remained attentive to economic indicators, corporate earnings reports, and ongoing global developments.

Total trading volume reflected the day's tempered activity:

While the percentage gains were relatively modest, the positive direction across these key indices suggested a general sense of stability in the market. Traders and analysts continue to monitor various factors, including inflation data, interest rate expectations, and global economic trends, to navigate the evolving landscape of the financial markets.

Global Forex Markets See U.S. Dollar Claw Back Losses

In a day of nuanced movements, the world foreign exchange market showcased fluctuations in major currency pairs on Wednesday with the U.S. dollar bouncing back from recent sell-offs. Here's a breakdown of the latest forex rates:

EUR/USD: The Euro to U.S. Dollar pair (EUR/USD) was heading for a close around 1.0883, signaling a marginal decline of -0.0027 or -0.25 percent.

USD/JPY: The Japanese Yen pair (USD/JPY) recorded a notable increase for the greenback, reaching 149.58. This reflects a positive movement for the dollar of +1.205 or +0.81 percent.

USD/CAD: The Canadian Dollar pair (USD/CAD) settled at 1.3701, indicating a slight uptick of +0.0001 or +0.01 percent.

GBP/USD: The British Pound to U.S. Dollar pair (GBP/USD) traded at 1.2490 Wednesday, experiencing a decrease of -0.0047 or -0.38 percent.

USD/CHF: The Swiss Franc pair (USD/CHF) showed a marginal decrease, edging down to 0.8840. This represents a negative movement of -0.0004 or -0.06 percent.

AUD/USD: The Australian Dollar dipped to 0.6540, marking a modest decline of -0.00153 or -0.23 percent.

NZD/USD: The New Zealand Dollar (NZD/USD) slid to 0.6022, reflecting a decrease of -0.0026 or -0.44 percent.

Global Stock Markets Close with Mixed Results on Wednesday

In a day of varied performances, global stock markets witnessed fluctuations in indices on Wednesday. Here's a roundup of the closing stock market quotes for key indices worldwide:

S&P/TSX Composite index (^GSPTSE): Canada's S&P/TSX Composite index concluded at 20,126.78, with a modest gain of +16.81 points or +0.08 percent.

UNITED KINGDOM

FTSE 100 (^FTSE): The FTSE 100 closed at 7,469.51, reflecting a modest decline of -12.48 points or -0.17 percent.

(^GDAXI): The German closed at 15,957.82, showing a positive movement of +57.29 points or +0.36 percent.

CAC 40 (^FCHI): France's CAC 40 ended the day at 7,260.73, marking an increase of +31.28 points or +0.43 percent.

ESTX 50 PR.EUR (^STOXX50E): The ESTX 50 PR.EUR closed at 4,352.02, marking an increase of +20.12 points or +0.46 percent.

Euronext 100 Index (^N100): The Euronext 100 Index closed at 1,347.49 Wednesday, showing a positive movement of +2.25 points or +0.17 percent.

BEL 20 (^BFX): Belgium's BEL 20 ended at 3,546.03, recording a gain of +30.40 points or +0.86 percent.

MOEX Russia Index (IMOEX.ME): The MOEX Russia Index closed at 2,222.51, reflecting a slight decline of -4.14 points or -0.19 percent.

Nikkei 225 (^N225): The Nikkei 225 in Japan closed at 33,451.83, with a gain of +97.69 points or +0.29 percent.

HANG SENG INDEX (^HSI): The HANG SENG INDEX concluded the day at 17,734.60 Wednesday, recording a marginal increase of +0.71 points or +0.00 percent.

SSE Composite Index (000001.SS): China's SSE Composite Index closed at 3,043.61, experiencing a decline of -24.32 points or -0.79 percent.

Shenzhen Index (399001.SZ): The Shenzhen Index in China ended at 9,855.66, registering a drop of -141.43 points or -1.41 percent.

STI Index (^STI): Singapore's STI Index concluded at 3,114.92, showing an increase of +18.58 points or +0.60 percent.

S&P BSE SENSEX (^BSESN): In India, the S&P BSE SENSEX closed at 66,023.24, showing a gain of +92.47 points or +0.14 percent.

NIFTY 50 (^NSEI): Meantime India's NIFTY 50 closed at 19,811.85 Wednesday, with a gain of +28.45 points or +0.14 percent.

IDX COMPOSITE (^JKSE): The IDX COMPOSITE in Indonesia closed at 6,906.95, experiencing a decline of -54.84 points or -0.79 percent.

FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE): The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI closed at 1,455.89, marking a decrease of -7.51 points or -0.51 percent.

KOSPI Composite Index (^KS11): The KOSPI Composite Index in South Korea closed at 2,511.70, with a marginal gain of +1.28 points or +0.05 percent.

TSEC weighted index (^TWII): Taiwan's TSEC weighted index closed at 17,310.26 Wednesday, reflecting a decline of -106.44 points or -0.61 percent.

S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO): Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed at 7,073.40, showing a decrease of -4.80 points or -0.07 percent.

ALL ORDINARIES (^AORD): The Australian ALL ORDINARIES meanwhile closed at 7,277.80, marking a decrease of -11.50 points or -0.16 percent.

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS (^NZ50): New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS closed at 11,169.80 Wednesday, showing a slight increase of +5.38 points or +0.05 percent

Top 40 USD Net TRI Index (^JN0U.JO): The Top 40 USD Net TRI Index in South Africa concluded at 3,917.35, reflecting a decline of -47.77 points or -1.20 percent.

MIDDLE EAST

TA-125 (^TA125.TA): Israel's TA-125 closed at 1,807.68, showing a significant gain of +40.38 points or +2.28 percent.

EGX 30 Price Return Index (^CASE30): Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index closed at 25,029.60 Wednesday, recording a substantial increase of +255.60 points or +1.03 percent.

Investors are closely watching these global indices as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of the international financial markets.