📊 Morning Update | 18 August 2025 🌏 📉 Wall Street closed Friday mixed: S&P 500 -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.4%, Russell 2000 -0.55%, while the Dow Jones edged up +0.1%. Today index futures are starting the week with mild optimism: US500 +0.1%, EU50 +0.1%. 🤝 Geopolitics: The Trump–Putin meeting on Friday ended without breakthroughs. Putin is demanding control of Donetsk and Luhansk for NATO-style guarantees. Trump stated: “Zelensky can end the war immediately – or continue to fight.” Now attention shifts to today’s Trump–Zelensky meeting at the White House, joined by European leaders to avoid a repeat of February’s tensions. 🌍 Global Markets: White House trade advisor Peter Navarro criticised India for importing Russian oil. In Asia-Pacific, optimism prevails after Trump delayed tariffs on Chinese imports. 🇮🇳 India’s Nifty 50 +1.1% after PM Modi cut consumption taxes, with auto & electronics stocks leading. 🇨🇳 HSCEI +1%, 🇭🇰 Hang Seng +0.75%, 🇯🇵 Nikkei 225 +0.7%, 🇦🇺 ASX 200 +0.6%. 💱 Forex: Volatility stays contained. The biggest moves are in the Antipodeans: AUDUSD +0.2%, NZDUSD +0.3%. NZD is also supported by rate cut expectations (25 bps) mid-week. EURUSD holds near 1.1700, USDIDX flat, while USDJPY rises +0.15%. 🛢️ Commodities: Oil remains under pressure: Brent -0.3%, WTI -0.35%, though prices recovered from early-session lows. Gold +0.35% to $3,345, silver +0.15% to $38.06. 💹 Crypto: Selling continues – Bitcoin -1.9% to $115,450, Ethereum -3.9% to $4,295. ⚡ Markets are starting the week cautiously – stay alert, stay prepared, and trade wisely with NordFX! 🚀