Global Markets – Overseas markets were mostly higher early Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as European shares advanced, several major Asian indexes gained, and U.S. stock futures pointed upward. Oil prices recovered following Monday’s sharp decline, while investors continued monitoring corporate earnings, the Japanese yen and security risks near the Strait of Hormuz.
Market figures in this report reflect official Asian closes and European and U.S. futures readings available during the morning of August 4, 2026. Live prices may change after publication.
Global Markets – Overseas Market Snapshot
| Market | Latest reported move |
|---|---|
| Nikkei 225, Japan | +0.3% |
| Hang Seng, Hong Kong | -0.6% |
| Shanghai Composite, China | +0.3% |
| Kospi, South Korea | +1.6% |
| S&P/ASX 200, Australia | +1.4% |
| FTSE 100, United Kingdom | +0.4% in early trade |
| DAX, Germany | +0.9% in early trade |
| CAC 40, France | +0.3% in early trade |
| Dow futures | +0.1% |
| S&P 500 futures | +0.2% |
August 4, 2026 (STL.News) Global Markets – Global stock markets were mostly higher Tuesday morning as investors carried forward the momentum from Monday’s Wall Street rally while continuing to assess renewed increases in oil prices and persistent geopolitical risks in the Middle East.
European shares opened broadly higher. The German DAX rose about 0.9% to 26,232.04 in early trading, while France’s CAC 40 added roughly 0.3% to 8,643.50. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained nearly 0.4% to 10,897.75. Those readings were intraday figures rather than official closing levels.
U.S. stock futures also pointed toward a moderately positive opening. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were approximately 0.1% higher, while S&P 500 futures gained about 0.2%, according to the early market snapshot reported by The Associated Press.
Global Markets – Asian Markets Deliver Mixed but Positive Session
Asian markets did not move uniformly, but gains in South Korea, Australia, mainland China and Japan outweighed weakness in Hong Kong.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 finished approximately 0.3% higher, according to AP’s closing-market report. Japanese financial markets remained focused on the yen following the previous week’s coordinated intervention by U.S. and Japanese authorities. The action was intended to strengthen the Japanese currency after a prolonged period of weakness.
The yen subsequently surrendered a small portion of its intervention-related advance, although Reuters reported that it remained approximately 4% stronger than its level before the intervention. Japan’s government bond market also attracted attention after a relatively weak 10-year bond auction contributed to upward pressure on yields.
South Korea recorded one of the region’s strongest gains. The Kospi advanced about 1.6%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose approximately 1.4%. The Australian Securities Exchange separately showed the benchmark gaining 105.8 points, or 1.17%, to 9,125.10 during its updated market reading, illustrating how percentage moves can vary depending on the data timestamp used.
Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite gained about 0.3%. Hong Kong moved in the opposite direction, with the Hang Seng Index declining approximately 0.6%.
The mixed regional performance showed that investors were not purchasing equities indiscriminately. Individual markets continued responding to domestic economic conditions, currency movements, interest-rate expectations and corporate developments.
Global Markets – European Shares Advance in Morning Trading
European markets built on the previous Wall Street session’s gains, with major benchmarks opening higher despite a recovery in crude oil prices.
Reuters reported that European equities and U.S. futures advanced while markets remained cautious about the continuing U.S.-Iran confrontation and the potential for further disruption near the Strait of Hormuz. Technology and financial companies were among the areas receiving investor interest.
The European readings should be treated differently from the Asian figures. Markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia had completed their regular sessions, while London, Frankfurt and Paris were still trading. Their final closing figures could therefore differ substantially from the morning snapshot.
Corporate earnings continued to support sentiment. Reuters reported that about 84% of S&P 500 companies that had announced results had exceeded analysts’ expectations at that point in the reporting season. That statistic reflects companies that had reported as of the source’s publication time and will change as more results are released.
Global Markets – Oil Prices Recover Following Monday’s Sell-Off
Oil prices moved higher Tuesday after falling sharply during the previous session.
AP reported U.S. benchmark crude near $80.49 per barrel and Brent crude around $84.75 per barrel during the overseas session. Those were live prices, not settlement values, and were subject to continued movement.
Reuters placed Brent’s increase at approximately 1.5% during its market update. The rebound followed a large decline Monday as investors reconsidered the immediate likelihood of further U.S. military action against Iran.
Energy markets nevertheless remained sensitive to events near the Strait of Hormuz. MarketWatch reported that oil prices rose following reports that a cargo vessel had been struck by an unidentified projectile near the shipping route. West Texas Intermediate crude was around $80.50, while Brent traded near $84.58 in that report’s timestamped update.
The small difference between the AP and MarketWatch oil quotations reflects normal market movement and differing publication times, rather than a factual inconsistency. For that reason, this report treats the figures as approximate intraday prices.
Global Markets – Currency and Bond Markets Remain in Focus
The Japanese yen continued to dominate foreign-exchange attention following the rare coordinated intervention.
Reuters reported that the yen weakened slightly against the dollar and euro but retained most of its recent gains. Investors continued debating whether official intervention would produce a lasting change or merely interrupt the currency’s longer-term trend.
Japanese government bonds also remained under pressure. Weaker demand at a 10-year debt auction pushed yields higher and renewed concerns about Japan’s fiscal expansion, government borrowing needs and the Bank of Japan’s gradual approach to tighter monetary policy.
Higher long-term yields can affect stock valuations by increasing borrowing costs and making government securities more competitive with equities. However, the strength of current corporate earnings appeared to offset some of those concerns during Tuesday’s overseas session.
Global Markets – What U.S. Investors Are Watching
Global Markets: Investors entered the U.S. trading day focused on another round of corporate earnings, labor-market information and geopolitical headlines.
Reuters noted that June job-openings data was due Tuesday ahead of the closely watched U.S. employment report later in the week. Markets were also awaiting additional corporate results after technology-related shares helped lead Monday’s rally.
The overnight picture was therefore cautiously constructive rather than uniformly bullish. Most major European benchmarks advanced, several Asian markets posted strong gains and U.S. futures moved higher. At the same time, Hong Kong declined, oil rebounded, and the Middle East remained a source of potential volatility.
The principal takeaway before the U.S. opening bell was that investors continued to favor equities while monitoring three important risks: renewed increases in energy prices, rising government bond yields and any escalation affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
