European stock exchanges close higher
Today saw a positive trend for European stock exchanges, with the main focus on geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which continue to influence the markets. At Piazza Affari, the Ftse Mib closed 0.2% higher, reaching 33,294 points. Among the titles in evidence, Leonardo recorded an increase of 1.95%, followed by Saipem with +1.9% and Unipol, which gained 1.65%. In contrast, Nexi and Telecom Italia saw a decline of 3.25% and 1.7% respectively
.
Impact of geopolitical tensions on markets
The escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine has had a significant impact on markets, pushing oil and gold prices higher. The Brent future reached 73.9 dollars per barrel, while the price of gold touched 2,667 dollars an ounce. These developments have raised concerns among investors, who continue to monitor the situation closely
.
Business results and macroeconomic data
Meanwhile, Nvidia published exceptional quarterly results, but it didn’t completely convince investors, despite higher-than-expected forecasts. From the macroeconomic agenda, news emerged about claims for unemployment benefits in the United States, which fell by 6,000, bringing the total to 213,000, a figure lower than expected. In addition, existing home sales rose 3.4%, exceeding analysts’ forecasts
.
Consumer confidence and bond markets
Another important fact is the decline in consumer confidence in the euro area, which registered a decrease of 13.7 points. The markets continue to follow closely the moves of the next American president, Donald Trump, and are waiting with interest for the data on the PMI indices of the main economies, scheduled for tomorrow. In the bond sector, the Btp-Bund spread widened to 124 basis points, with the Italian 10-year yield around 3.56% and that of the German benchmark at 2.32%
.
Trend of currencies and cryptocurrencies
In the
currency market, the euro/dollar exchange rate fell below 1.05, while the dollar/yen fell to 154.6. Among cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has exceeded 97,000 dollars, attracting the attention of investors. The day ends with Wall Street opening positively, with Nvidia marking an increase of 4.8% after a negative start in the premarket, reaching a
new record.