Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit 
South Korea, US Discuss Warship Building Cooperation 
Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160 
Japan Private-Sector Growth Slows as Domestic Demand Weakens 
US Stock Futures Fall as Treasury Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts 
European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh 
Gold Prices Fall as Treasury Yields Rise on Fed Rate Hike Bets 
RBI Uses $10 Billion Currency Swaps to Drain Excess Rupee Liquidity 
US 10-Year Treasury Yield at 6% Emerges as New Market Risk Threshold 
Russian Envoy Dmitriev Heads to US for Ukraine Talks 
Oil Prices Jump 3% as Houthi Attack Revives Supply Fears 
Wall Street Falls as Treasury Yields Surge, Oil Rebounds on Iran Tensions 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
Soybean Futures Slip as Traders Await Trump-Xi Trade Signals 
Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
Add as a preferred source on Google
U.S. stock index futures held steady Thursday evening as markets entered a cautious holding pattern before the Good Friday holiday closure, with traders weighing Middle East tensions and positioning ahead of a critical jobs report.
S&P 500 futures hovered near 6,624.50 points, Nasdaq 100 futures held at 24,223.00, and Dow Jones futures were largely unchanged at 46,748.0 points as of 8:19 PM ET. The muted overnight activity followed a mixed regular session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 closed nearly flat, the Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%.
Markets swung between gains and losses throughout Thursday's session, driven largely by geopolitical headlines. Sentiment turned more positive in afternoon trading after Iran's foreign ministry announced it was working with Oman to develop a protocol governing shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz — a strategically critical waterway for global oil flows. Earlier, however, remarks from President Donald Trump, who indicated that U.S. attacks on Iran could intensify over the next few weeks, rattled investor confidence and triggered volatility across stocks, commodities, and currency markets.
With geopolitical uncertainty still simmering, all eyes are now turning to Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls report — one of the most closely watched economic indicators for Federal Reserve policy signals. Economists and traders alike will parse the data for clues about labor market health. A stronger-than-expected result could fuel expectations that the Fed will keep interest rates elevated longer, while disappointing figures may revive speculation about rate cuts later in 2025.
Adding another layer of complexity, trading volumes are expected to remain thin due to the Good Friday market holiday, a condition that can magnify price swings on limited activity. Investors are advised to monitor developments closely as the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape continues to evolve.
