The IBEX 35 began the session higher by 0.57 percent, nudging the index to 8,247.5 on a morning shaped by a blend of cautious optimism in Wall Street and solid gains across Asian markets. These movements come as investors track a delicate balance between regional growth prospects and persistent geopolitical tensions, with multi-market momentum keeping sentiment volatile.
Across the Atlantic, the U.S. stock benchmarks displayed a mixed performance: the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.33 percent, the S&P 500 advanced 0.13 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite moved higher by 0.06 percent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged by 2.64 percent, signaling a strong push from regional equities. The day’s early action reflects continuing risk-on behavior in Asia while U.S. markets pare back some gains, a pattern noted by analysts and cited in market briefings. (Reuters)
The Madrid equity gauge opened after ending Thursday down by 1.35 percent, with traders positioning around the 8,200-point threshold. The focus remains on the evolving Ukraine conflict, as well as the trajectory of infections in China, both of which could shape domestic and regional risk sentiment throughout the session. (Market Brief)
In Spain, the Consumer Price Index CPI eased by 0.2 percent in April, driven by softer electricity and gasoline prices. This led to a slowdown in annual inflation, which dropped by 1.5 percentage points to 8.3 percent compared with the prior month. The softer inflation backdrop supports a slightly more favorable pricing environment for households and could influence the pace of monetary policy deliberations. (Statistics Office Release)
CPI at 8.3% in April, modestly above expectations
In the early trading stretch of Friday, several stocks emerged as notable movers. Siemens Gamesa led the gains with a rise of about 2.45 percent, followed by BBVA up 1.57 percent, Fluidra up 1.56 percent, Sabadell up 1.55 percent, Santander up around 1.3 percent, and Amadeus up 1.27 percent as highlighted by market participants. Conversely, Naturgy dropped 3 percent, ACS declined 1.1 percent, Red Eléctrica fell 0.95 percent, and ArcelorMittal slid 0.57 percent, reflecting sector-specific dynamics and shifting risk appetites. (Market Notes)
Other major European markets opened with gains, with Frankfurt up about 0.5 percent, Paris rising roughly 0.7 percent, and London showing a similar constructive tone. Movement across these indexes suggests a broad risk appetite in European equities as traders digest corporate updates and macro signals. (European Markets Update)
The oil complex provided notable directional cues. Brent crude traded higher by about 1 percent, sitting near $108 per barrel, while U.S. WTI advanced approximately 0.7 percent to around $106. The euro traded around 1.0400 dollars, reflecting ongoing currency market dynamics amid global inflation worries and interest rate expectations. (Commodity Markets)