British News Agency

According to analysts, the UK’s FTSE Index is set to open slightly below flat, Germany’s DAX Index up 0.2%, France’s CAC 40 up 0.1%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB opening slightly higher.

The cautious Thursday opening comes after a positive trading session on Wednesday. The pan-European Stoxx 600 Index closed nearly 1.1% higher, with most sectors and major exchanges in the region closing in the green.

Global markets have risen this week as expectations grow that the U.S. Federal Reserve may cut interest rates at its December 9–10 meeting. Traders are pricing in an 84.9% probability of a quarter-point cut in December.

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, marking the fourth straight day of gains for major averages ahead of Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific markets followed Wall Street’s gains, with India’s benchmark indices reaching record highs.

U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving. Trading will resume Friday in a shortened session ending at 1:00 p.m.

No major earnings reports are scheduled in Europe for Thursday. Data highlights include Germany’s GfK consumer confidence survey and EU economic sentiment data.

Asia-Pacific markets rose Thursday, tracking Wall Street’s momentum, supported by expectations of Fed rate cuts and a rebound in the tech sector. India's Nifty 50 Index reached 26,284.2, while the BSE Sensex hit 86,026.18 — both new record highs.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.42%, led by tech stocks, while the Topix gained 0.64%. Major gainers included Advantest (up almost 5%), tech giant SoftBank (up over 5%), and Tokyo Electron (up 2.09%).

South Korea’s Kospi Index rose 1.05%, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.39%. The Bank of Korea kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5% for the fourth consecutive meeting. The Korean won weakened to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since April.

Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 Index climbed 0.42%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index opened 0.12% higher, while China’s CSI 300 Index was flat.