Decode Weekly Market Recap: Highlight and Insignts (30/12/2024 – 03/01/2025)

U.S. Markets

• Stocks Finish Higher in Holiday-Shortened Week
  U.S. stocks ended the week with moderate gains, driven by large-cap growth stocks early in the week. However, indices gave up some of their gains after Wednesday’s Christmas holiday.
• Economic Data Shows Mixed Results
  Consumer confidence fell to 104.7 in December, down from 112.8 in November, with a sharp decline in short-term outlook indicators. Durable goods orders dropped 1.1% in November, while new home sales came in below consensus at a pace of 664,000.
• Treasury Yields Climb
  U.S. Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year note reaching 4.641% on Thursday amid light trading. High-yield bonds also saw modest gains.

European Markets

• European Stocks Rise
  The STOXX 600 Index gained 0.99%, with France’s CAC 40 up 1.11% and Germany’s DAX rising 0.50%.
• UK Economic Growth Revised Lower
  The UK’s third-quarter GDP estimate was revised down to 0.0%, highlighting stagnation concerns ahead of planned tax increases.

Asia-Pacific Markets

• Japan’s Stocks Advance
  Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 4.08%, supported by a weaker yen and optimism in export-heavy industries. Inflation in Tokyo exceeded forecasts at 3% year-over-year, signaling strong price trends.
• Chinese Stocks Rebound
  Chinese equities rose on hopes of further government stimulus. Manufacturing profits, however, extended their decline, falling 7.3% year-on-year in November.

Other Key Developments

• Turkey Cuts Interest Rates
  Turkey’s central bank reduced its policy rate to 47.5%, citing evidence of moderating inflation, which declined to 47% in November from a high of 85% in 2022.
• South Korea Faces Political Turmoil
  South Korea continued to experience political uncertainty, with the parliament unseating the acting president, adding to investor concerns.

Market Performance Snapshot

*Source of data: Yahoo! Finance and Bloomberg

This chart is for informational purposes only and does not reflect the performance of any specific security. Past performance is not indicative of future results.