At 3:11 PM in Lisbon, the Nasdaq slipped 0.02% to 20,887.93 points, while the Dow Jones rose 0.48% to 44,713.86 points, and the S&P500 increased by 0.17% to 6,320.45 points.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) and Japan agreed today to take concrete steps towards strengthening their security and defense alliance, exploring new forums such as strategic dialogue and launching an industrial coordination initiative.
During a summit in Tokyo, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa emphasized the affinity with Japan, the Asian country with the strongest ties to the EU, highlighting the intention to enhance cooperation not only in security and defense but also in trade and global governance areas, calling for the revitalization of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Investors are eagerly awaiting this week’s European Central Bank (ECB) monetary policy meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged. Attention will focus on whether the entity’s president, Christine Lagarde, will provide any indications about future steps.
Markets will also be monitoring the release of preliminary PMI estimates, which provide an overview of activity in the manufacturing and service sectors. These estimates might be impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of imposing 30% tariffs on Eurozone imports to the U.S., although the impact is expected to be limited.
