The article provides a summary of market news from around the world for Friday, December 27, 2024. Here are some key points:
- US Markets: US stocks look set to open lower later on.
- Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell and hovered near $96,000.
- Santa Rally: The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell below the flatline while the tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) fell slightly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) closed up 28 points after flipping between positive and negative territory throughout the light trading session.
- Gold: Gold prices saw a modest decline amid thin year-end trading, though they remained poised to post gains for the week as markets awaited economic signals under the incoming Trump administration.
- UK Retailers: The number of UK retailers in financial distress rises by 25% quarter-on-quarter, according to data from Begbies Traynor.
- South Korea: South Korea voted to impeach its interim president Han Duck-soo, adding to political turmoil in the region.
- Asian Markets: Japan’s Nikkei rallied 1.8%, putting the index on course for its best year-end close since 1989.
Overall, it seems that markets are experiencing a bit of a breather ahead of the weekend, with some volatility and uncertainty surrounding the outcome of recent economic data releases and political developments in South Korea.
