Uneventful day on Wall Street Monday, Nasdaq Composite inches up

Lola Evans
19 Aug 2025, 01:37 GMT+10

The NASDAQ Composite managed a modest gain, rising 6.80 points to close at 21,629.77, up 0.03 percent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average also edged lower, falling 34.30 points to finish at 44,911.82—a drop of 0.08 percent.
The Standard and Poor's 500 inched down just 0.65 points to end the session at 6,449.15, a fractional decline of 0.01 percent.

NEW YORK, New York - There was little movement on Wall Street Monday as investors awaited news from the summit in DC involving European leaders, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, News also filtered through that Hamas had accepted a proposed 60-day ceasefire with Israel. Investors continue to weight the future of U.S. interest rates with Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell to address Jackson Hole on Friday for the last time in his tenure at the central bank.

"Today is a day more of listlessness in the markets, where we're just waiting to see what happens from the big retailers and then the main event on Friday with Jerome Powell," Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management told Reuters Monday..

The Standard and Poor's 500 inched down just 0.65 points to end the session at 6,449.15, a fractional decline of 0.01 percent. The benchmark index showed signs of fatigue after recent strong gains, with sectors such as utilities and energy weighing on performance.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also edged lower, falling 34.30 points to finish at 44,911.82—a drop of 0.08 percent. Losses in industrial and consumer staples names were offset by gains in some financial stocks, resulting in a largely flat close.

The NASDAQ Composite managed a modest gain, rising 6.80 points to close at 21,629.77, up 0.03 percent. Tech stocks showed resilience, with select chipmakers and software companies helping keep the index in positive territory

Global Currency Markets Mixed as US Dollar Holds Firm

The foreign exchange market saw mixed movements on Monday, with the US dollar showing strength against several major counterparts, buoyed by economic resilience and expectations of interest rate stability. While the euro and British pound fell against the greenback, some commodity-linked and regional currencies showed minor gains or stability.

Euro and Pound Weaken Against the Dollar

The euro declined 0.29 percent against the US dollar, with the EUR/USD pair last trading at 1.1669. The drop came amid cautious sentiment in the eurozone, where weak industrial data and ongoing political uncertainty weighed on the shared currency.

Similarly, the British pound lost ground. The GBP/USD pair fell 0.31 percent to 1.3509, as traders digested mixed economic figures from the UK and speculated over future monetary policy moves from the Bank of England.

Yen Falls as Dollar Gains Momentum

The Japanese yen continued its recent slide, with the USD/JPY pair climbing 0.50 percent to 147.86. The move reflects a growing yield differential between US and Japanese government bonds, with the Bank of Japan maintaining its ultra-loose monetary stance while the Federal Reserve remains steady.

Commodity Currencies Show Diverging Trends

The Canadian dollar held relatively steady, with the USD/CAD rate dipping just 0.06 percent to 1.3805. Crude oil prices remained range-bound, offering limited support to the loonie.

The Australian dollar slipped slightly, with the AUDUSD pair trading at 0.6493, down 0.16 percent on the day. The decline comes amid soft commodity prices and cautious risk sentiment, which weighed on the Aussie despite broadly steady global markets.

In contrast, the New Zealand dollar edged higher. The NZDUSD pair was quoted at 0.5924, marking a gain of 0.08 percent. The kiwi found some support from firm domestic data and modest US dollar weakness during the session.

Both currencies remain sensitive to upcoming US economic releases and any signals from the Federal Reserve later in the week.

Global Markets Mixed on Monday Amid Economic Caution

Global equity markets closed with mixed performances on Monday, as investors weighed a blend of regional economic signals, corporate results, and geopolitical considerations. Gains in the UK and parts of Asia contrasted with losses across much of continental Europe and emerging markets.

Canada: Toronto exchange finishes with modest Gain

In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 17.36 points to settle at 27,922.85, a gain of 0.06 percent. Strength in mining and energy shares helped lift the index, though trading volumes remained subdued.

UK: Modest Gains for London Markets

The FTSE 100 advanced modestly, adding 18.84 points to close at 9,157.74—a rise of 0.21 percent. The benchmark index was supported by strength in the mining and energy sectors, as commodity prices saw slight upticks. Investor sentiment remained cautiously optimistic despite ongoing concerns over inflation and interest rates in the broader economy.

Europe: Continental Bourses Mostly Lower

Markets across mainland Europe struggled to gain traction, with most major indices finishing in the red.

Germany's DAX index fell 44.53 points to settle at 24,314.77, down 0.18 percent. France's CAC 40 dropped 39.40 points to end at 7,884.05, a decline of 0.50 percent.

The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 index lost 13.97 points, closing at 5,434.64—a drop of 0.26 percent. Similarly, the Euronext 100 index edged lower by 3.19 points to finish at 1,609.61, down 0.20 percent.

Belgium's BEL 20 was a rare bright spot, gaining 34.06 points to reach 4,808.37, an increase of 0.71 percent, driven by strength in financial and industrial names.

Asia and Pacific: Gains in China and Japan, Losses Elsewhere

Asian markets presented a mixed picture as investors assessed corporate earnings and central bank commentary.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose sharply by 336.00 points to close at 43,714.31, a gain of 0.77 percent, buoyed by strong tech stocks and a weaker yen. China's SSE Composite Index also saw gains, climbing 31.26 points to end at 3,728.03, up 0.85 percent, amid fresh stimulus speculation.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, however, slipped by 93.22 points to 25,176.85, down 0.37 percent, as property sector concerns lingered.

South Korea's KOSPI saw a sharper decline, losing 48.38 points to close at 3,177.28, a drop of 1.50 percent. The Taiwan TWSE index rose 148.04 points to 24,482.52, marking a gain of 0.61 percent.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore's STI fell 43.15 points to 4,187.38, down 1.02 percent. Indonesia's IDX Composite shed 32.88 points to close at 7,898.38, a loss of 0.41 percent. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa KLCI bucked the trend, rising 8.62 points to 1,584.96, up 0.55 percent.

In the Pacific region, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 20.70 points to finish at 8,959.30, while the broader All Ordinaries added 21.40 points to 9,233.50—both increasing by 0.23 percent. New Zealand's NZX 50 jumped 81.26 points to 12,970.64, up 0.63 percent.

India's S&P BSE Sensex also posted a strong performance, rising 676.09 points to close at 81,273.75, a gain of 0.84 percent, following upbeat earnings and favorable macro data.

Middle East and Africa: Weakness in Regional Benchmarks

In the Middle East, Israel's TA-125 index declined by 6.02 points to 3,050.07, down 0.20 percent, reflecting broader regional unease and profit-taking after last week's gains.

Egypt's EGX 30 fell 148.00 points to 35,824.80, a drop of 0.41 percent, amid cautious investor sentiment and profit booking in heavyweight financials.

South Africa's Top 40 USD Net Total Return Index was among the worst performers globally, slipping 76.65 points to end at 5,703.14—a decline of 1.33 percent—dragged lower by mining and financial sectors as the rand weakened.