U.S. Futures, Asian Markets Rise, But European Indexes Fall; Gold Hits New High

By Dow Jones Newswires Staff

U.S. futures and Asian markets rose as the tech-led rally continued into the holiday-shortened trading week. Asian and European semiconductor companies climbed as investors returned to AI-related stocks, with futures for the U.S.'s tech-heavy Nasdaq also rising. Volatility in global commodities markets sent miners up as precious metals hit record highs, while yields on government bonds tracked Japanese sovereign debt higher. U.S. stock and bond markets close early Wednesday and are closed Thursday for the Christmas holiday.

--U.S. futures rose across the board, as a rebound in sentiment that pushed the country's stock market close to record highs Friday carried into the new trading week. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.4% premarket, while futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively.

--Asian markets were up, with Japan's Nikkei 225 index gaining 1.8%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 0.4% as Semiconductor Manufacturing International gained 5.9%, while Zijin Mining Group climbed 5.3%. China's benchmark Shanghai Composite climbed 0.7%.

--European indexes opened largely lower as energy companies weighed on markets. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 was the biggest mover, down 0.25%, despite gains for miners as precious metals hit record highs. United Utilities dropped 1.3% as quarterly GDP data for the U.K. showed slowing growth. Utilities also pulled the French CAC 40 lower as the index slid 0.15%. The Spanish IBEX 35 fell 0.2% on falls for utilities and technology companies, while Germany's DAX nudged up 0.2% as semiconductor manufacturer Infineon gained 2.4%. Italy's FTSE MIB traded flat.

--The dollar traded steady ahead of data releases Tuesday, when U.S. third-quarter economic growth and durable goods orders will be released along with the Conference Board's consumer confidence survey. The DXY dollar index traded flat at 98.596.

--Sterling rose 0.3% to an intraday high of $1.3418 in a holiday-thinned trading week, even as data confirmed the U.K. economy grew 0.1% in the third quarter. The euro fell to an intraday low of 0.8735 pounds, from 0.8744 before the data.

--Treasury yields rose, reversing last week's falls. Any weakness in Tuesday's U.S. third-quarter GDP print could add to prospects of U.S. interest-rate cuts and send Treasury yields lower, especially after recent below-forecast inflation figures. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed 1.4 basis points to 4.165%, having hit a low of 4.108% on Thursday.

--U.K. government bond yields tracked their Japanese peers higher after the U.K.'s GDP print, with 10-year gilts up 1 basis point to 4.530%.

--Bitcoin gained as Asian stocks are pulled higher by tech stocks, tracking Friday's U.S. tech rally. Bitcoin rises 1.2% to $89,229, still unable to rise back above the key $90,000 level. The cryptocurrency has fallen from a record high of $126,223 reached in October.

--Oil prices rose in early trading as the U.S. ramped up pressure on Venezuela, raising concerns over supply disruptions in the region. Brent crude was up 0.9% to $61.03 a barrel, while WTI gained 1% to $57.07 a barrel on news that the U.S. Coast Guard was pursuing an oil tanker involved in transporting oil from Venezuela shortly after apprehending one that wasn't on its sanctions list.

--Gold prices reached a record high on Monday, surging past the $4,400-an-ounce mark on growing expectations of further U.S. interest-rate cuts next year and heightened geopolitical risks spurring safe-haven demand. Futures in New York climbed 1.3% to $4,445.70 an ounce in early European trading after reaching $4,453 earlier in the session, while spot gold rose 1.3% to $4,388.77 an ounce. Silver futures climbed 1.8% to $68.67 an ounce, having hit $69.53 earlier. Platinum rose 2.9% to $2,013.20 an ounce.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 22, 2025 04:45 ET (09:45 GMT)