Global Stock Exchanges.

Byline: S. Kamal Hayder Kazmi

The FTSE 100 had a stellar first week of 2021

The FTSE 100 roared ahead in the first week of 2021, jumping more than 6 percent compared to increases of roughly 0.13 percent on the US's S&P 500 and 1 percent on Germany's Dax.

A number of factors have driven the FTSE higher: the signing of a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU; the approval and rollout of coronavirus vaccines; and the Democrat victories in the Georgia Senate runoff elections in the US.

Each of these promise to aid an economic recovery in 2021 that will help the industrial, financial, and energy firms that make up much of the UK's blue-chip index, and which suffered so much under the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

But the FTSE is still well behind its peers when looked at over the last year. Whereas the S&P 500 is around 17 percent higher than it was a year ago and the Dax is up about 5.5 percent, the FTSE 100 is down roughly 9.5 percent.

Major World Market Indices

Index###Last###High###Low###Chg.###Chg. %###Time

Dow Jones###31,097.97###31,140.67###30,793.27###56.84###0.18%###1-Aug

S&P 500###3,824.68###3,826.69###3,783.60###20.89###0.55%###1-Aug

Nasdaq###13,201.98###13,208.09###13,036.55###134.5###1.03%###1-Aug

Small Cap 2000 2,088.35###2,113.88###2,064.61###-8.53###-0.41%###1-Aug

SandP 500 VIX 21.56###23.34###21.42###0###0.00%###1-Aug

Sensex holds 49,000; broader indices underperform benchmarks

The Indian markets were parked near record highs scaled in Monday's opening deals, withe the S&P BSE Sensex above 49,000, on the back of favourable global cues and strong Q3 earnings.

The S&P BSE Sensex gained 400 points, or 0.8 percent, at 49,190 levels and the Nifty50 index topped the 14,420 level. Technology stocks were the lead Sensex gainers, with Infosys, HCL Tech, and TCS rising 3 percent, 2 percent, and 1 percent, respectively. Tata Consultancy Services' profit jumped 7 percent YoY in the December quarter to Rs 8,701 crore, according to the results announced post market hours on Friday.

Besides, shares of Avenue Supermarts gained 2 percent after the firm posted a 16 percent jump in Q3 profit.

The Nifty setoral indices were trading mixed, with Nifty IT index, up 2 percent, leading the list of gainers.

Meanwhile, in the broader markets, the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices were trading 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent lower, respectively.

Japan's Nikkei 225 surges to levels not seen since early 1990s; Asia-Pacific markets mixed

Stocks in Asia-Pacific...