Lola Evans
31 Mar 2026, 01:35 GMT+10
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed on a mixed note Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average managing a modest gain while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finished in the red, as investors rotated out of technology shares amid lingering concerns over the crisis in the Gulf.
The Standard and Poor's 500 slipped 25.08 points, or 0.39 percent, to end the session at 6,343.77. The broad-market index traded within a range of 6,316.91 to 6,427.31 on the day, with volume reaching 3.151 billion shares.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, adding 49.99 points to close at 45,216.63, a gain of 0.11 percent. The blue-chip index touched a high of 45,625.76 and a low of 45,057.28, with 519.441 million shares changing hands.
Technology shares weighed heavily on the broader market, pulling the NASDAQ Composite down 153.72 points, or 0.73 percent, to 20,794.64. Nasdaq volume totaled 7.023 billion shares.
The U.S. dollar delivered a strong performance against major counterparts on Monday, gaining ground against the euro and pound while losing modest ground against the Japanese yen and Swiss franc, as traders weighed shifting interest rate expectations and risk appetite.
The euro weakened against the dollar, with the EUR/USD pair falling 0.43 percent to 1.1458. The British pound also lost ground; GBP/USD declined 0.53 percent to settle at 1.3181.
The dollar advanced against commodity-linked currencies. USD/CAD rose 0.26 percent to 1.3926, reflecting a stronger greenback relative to the Canadian dollar. The Australian dollar slipped 0.32 percent against its US counterpart, with AUD/USD trading at 0.6847, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.43 percent to 0.5714.
In Asia, the dollar weakened modestly against the yen. USD/JPY dropped 0.35 percent to 159.69, marking a slight pullback for the greenback after recent strength. The Swiss franc also edged higher against the dollar, with USD/CHF declining 0.22 percent to 0.7999.
Trading volumes were described as steady, with investors positioning for upcoming economic data releases later in the week.
Global stock markets concluded Monday's trading session with a divided performance, as steep losses in Asia contrasted sharply with broad-based gains across European exchanges. Investors navigated a landscape of regional divergence, with technology and commodity moves driving varied outcomes.
European markets ended the day firmly in positive territory, with all major indices recording gains. The FTSE 100 in London advanced 160.61 points, or 1.61 percent, to close at 10,127.96. Germany's DAX P rose 262.13 points, settling at 22,562.88, a gain of 1.18 percent. France's CAC 40 added 70.50 points to finish at 7,772.45, an increase of 0.92 percent.
The broader EURO STOXX 50 Index climbed 35.99 points (0.65 percent) to end at 5,541.79, while the Euronext 100 Index rose 13.49 points (0.79 percent) to 1,721.24. Belgium's BEL 20 also saw a positive close, gaining 44.72 points (0.90 percent) to finish at 5,029.94.
Canada's main stock index also finished modestly lower. The S&P/TSX Composite Index edged down 25.71 points, or 0.08 percent, to close at 31,934.94 on volume of 311.53 million.
In contrast, Asian-Pacific markets faced significant selling pressure. Japan's Nikkei 225 tumbled 1,487.22 points, a sharp drop of 2.79 percent, closing at 51,885.85. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index saw the steepest percentage decline among major benchmarks, plunging 161.57 points (2.97 percent) to end at 5,277.30.
Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX fell 201.09 points (0.81 percent) to 24,750.79, while India's S&P BSE SENSEX dropped sharply by 1,635.67 points, closing at 71,947.55, a loss of 2.22 percent. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index declined 594.43 points (1.80 percent) to 32,518.16.
Elsewhere in the region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 55.30 points (0.65 percent) to 8,461.00, while the broader ALL ORDINARIES lost 55.30 points (0.63 percent), finishing at 8,657.50. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI fell 24.75 points (1.45 percent) to 1,687.90, and New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index shed 186.47 points (1.44 percent), closing at 12,748.92.
Singapore's STI Index was relatively flat, edging down by a marginal 0.92 points, or 0.02 percent, to 4,897.26. Indonesia's IDX Composite also saw a minor decline of 5.39 points (0.08 percent) , settling at 7,091.67.
Meanwhile, the SSE Composite Index in mainland China bucked the regional trend, adding 9.56 points (0.24 percent) to close at 3,923.29.
In the Middle East and Africa, Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index fell sharply, dropping 1,214.40 points (2.62 percent) to 45,189.90 on volume of over 538 million. Israel's TA-125 declined 79.56 points (1.98 percent) to 3,941.78. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index managed a slight gain, rising 11.88 points (0.18 percent) to 6,550.18.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
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