European Markets Slump on New Year’s Eve  

European markets were ending the last day of 2020 on a negative note.   London’s FTSE index was down 1.1, while the CAC-40 in Paris was 0.2% lower. The DAX index in Frankfurt was shut down for the New Year’s holiday. Asian markets were mostly higher to close out the turbulent year. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index finished 0.3% higher, while Shanghai’s Composite index gained 1.7%, and the TSEC index in Taiwan closed up 0.3%. Mumbai’s Sensex gained five points, but was virtually unchanged percentage-wise (+0.01%).    This picture shows a ceremony of the close of the end-of-year trading session at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, Dec. 30, 2020. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX index was down 1.4%. The exchanges in Japan and South Korea were closed for the holiday.      In commodities trading, gold was selling at $1898.20 an ounce, up 0.2%. U.S. crude oil was selling at $47.96 per barrel, down 0.9%, and Brent crude oil was selling at $51.11 per barrel, down one percent.   All three major U.S. indices were trending positively in futures trading ahead of Wall Street’s final opening bell for 2020.      
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