Indian markets are shut today (April 14) for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti, but global markets but started the week on a positive note. From Wall Street’s Friday close to movement in crude oil, Trump’s tariff, and Asian market trends- here’s a quick snapshot of what’s shaping the global market mood while Dalal Street takes a break.
Key global action on April 14, 2025
Asian markets
Asia-Pacific markets opened higher on Monday as easing US tariff concerns lifted investor sentiment across the region. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.82% and the Topix gained 1.77%, leading the rally. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1.29%, while the smaller Kosdaq index was up 1.22%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also saw gains, rising 0.72% in early trade.
US Futures
Stock futures edged higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.6%, Nasdaq-100 futures gaining 0.9%, and Dow Jones futures rising 0.3%.
Trump’s Tariff: Relief for tech buyers
In a move that brought some cheer to tech lovers and companies alike, the US government decided to keep smartphones, laptops, and other electronics out of its latest round of tariffs. The decision to exclude items such as hard drives, processors, and memory chips benefits major tech firms. Companies like Apple and Samsung, which heavily rely on global supply chains, won’t face added costs that might have been passed on to consumers. The exemption helps these firms stay competitive without raising prices for everyday tech products.
US markets
On Friday (April 11), the S&P 500 jumped 1.81% to close at 5,363.36, while the Dow Jones climbed over 600 points to finish above the 40,000 mark. Tech-heavy Nasdaq was the biggest gainer, rising more than 2% to end at 16,724.46.
US dollar
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was down 0.12% at 99.78 on Monday morning. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee depreciated 0.75% to close at 86.05 to the dollar on April 11.
Crude oil
Crude oil prices saw a mild rise on Monday morning. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading at $61.64, up by 0.23%, while Brent crude edged up by 0.20% to $64.88.
FII, DII data
Foreign investors pulled out Rs 2,519 crore from Indian equities on April 11, extending their selling streak to a ninth straight session. While global worries seem to be driving them away, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) once again filled the gap, buying stocks worth Rs 3,759 crore.
Gold rate today
On Monday, April 14, gold prices edged lower. The dip came after US President Donald Trump rolled back tariffs on popular Chinese-made electronics like smartphones, laptops, and computer chips, a move that calmed markets and reduced the demand for safe-haven assets like gold. Spot gold fell 0.4% to $3,223.67 an ounce in early trade, pulling back from its all-time high of $3,245.28 hit just a session ago. US gold futures also saw a marginal decline of 0.1%, at $3,240.90.
Goldman Sachs is turning more bullish on gold, now predicting the yellow metal could hit $3,700 per ounce by year-end—its boldest forecast yet. This is the third time the bank has raised its estimate in 2025, driven by strong demand from central banks, rising interest in gold ETFs, and recession fears. Even when markets wobbled earlier this month, gold ETF inflows stayed strong, and physical buying picked up in Eastern markets. With prices already touching a record $3,245, gold is up over 24% this year, making it one of 2025’s hottest assets.
Back in India, on April 14, MCX will remain closed for morning trading and reopen for evening trading from 5 PM.
Corporate action
As the new week kicks off, several stocks, including Hexaware Technologies and CRISIL, are set to trade ex-dividend. Hexaware has declared an interim dividend of Rs 5.75 per share, with the ex-date set for April 15, while CRISIL will go ex-dividend on April 14 for a final dividend of Rs 26 per share
Earnings season and Inflation data in focus
Back home, all eyes are on the quarterly results of key companies, with IT giants Wipro and Infosys, along with banking heavyweights HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, lined up to report their Q4 numbers. Besides earnings, crucial economic indicators will be released this week, including retail inflation (CPI) and wholesale inflation (WPI).