U.S. stocks opened the day in a mixed picture. By the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded at 49,003 points, down 0.8 % from the previous session. The broader S&P 500 had been up 0.4 % at roughly 6,978 points earlier, and the technology‑heavy Nasdaq 100 was up 0.9 % at about 25,940 points.
A recent Conference Board survey shows consumer confidence in the United States falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. In January the index slipped 9.7 points to 84.5, with households worried about continuing inflation, trade policy, the labor market, and increased concerns around the possibility of war and disruptions to health‑care services.
In Europe, the euro strengthened markedly on Tuesday evening. At 1.2039 U.S. dollars (+1.35 %), one U.S. dollar was worth 0.8306 euros. Gold saw a sharp rise; by the evening it traded at $5,177 per troy ounce, a 3.3 % gain, which translates to about 138.27 euros per gram. Brent crude also climbed considerably: around 22:00 German time, a barrel of North Sea‑grade Brent was priced at $67.60, up 3.1 % from the prior close.