On Friday, April 11, U.S. markets closed higher, with all three major indexes posting strong gains, fueled by upbeat bank earnings and reassuring comments from Federal Reserve officials. The S&P 500 and Dow recorded their largest weekly percentage gains since November 2023, while the Nasdaq notched its best week since November 2022.

Despite volatility driven by ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions and inflation concerns, investor sentiment improved following better-than-expected earnings from JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo.

On the economic front, producer prices rose 2.7% in March, below the 3.3% forecast, while the monthly figure fell 0.4%--the sharpest drop since 2023.

All 11 major S&P 500 sectors ended in positive territory, with materials and technology leading the gains.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.56% to 40,212.71, the S&P 500 rose 1.81% to 5,363.36, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.06% to close at 16,724.46.

Asia Markets Today

• On Monday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.27% to close at 34,011.50, led by gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors.
• Japan’s Nikkei closed higher as U.S. tariff exclusions on smartphones lifted tech stocks, though investor caution remained amid ongoing trade uncertainty and fluctuating market sentiment.
• Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 1.34% and closed at 7,748.60, led by gains in the IT, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors
• India markets were closed for the Ambedkar Jayanti holiday.
• China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.76% to 3,262.81, and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 increased 0.23% to 3,759.14.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 2.40% to 21,417.40.
• China’s trade surplus rose to $102.64 billion in March, beating expectations of $74.30 billion. Exports surged 12.4% year-over-year amid front-loading ahead of steep U.S. tariffs. Imports fell 4.3%, reflecting retaliatory tariffs and weak domestic demand in the face of slowing economic growth.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 1.87%.
• Germany’s DAX gained 2.11%.
• France’s CAC 40 rose 1.78%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded higher by 1.75%.
• European markets rose Monday as the U.S. exempted certain electronics from reciprocal tariffs, easing fears of a deepening trade war.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading higher by 1.01% at $62.12/bbl, and Brent was up 0.96% at $65.38/bbl.
• Oil prices inched up Monday after the U.S. exempted some goods from tariffs and China reported a strong rebound in crude imports for March.
• Natural Gas fell 1.76% to $3.467.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.17% at $3,239.24, Silver was up 1.09% to $32.270, and Copper rose 1.33% to $4.5823x.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.74%, S&P 500 futures gained 1.06%, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.22%.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.65% to 99.45, USD/JPY was down 0.29% to 142.09, and USD/AUD slid 0.58% to 1.5809.
• The U.S. dollar slipped Monday amid continued uncertainty from President Trump’s tariff moves, boosting the euro, yen, and other major currencies. Investor confidence in the dollar weakened as contradictory trade messages fueled market volatility.

Photo via Shutterstock