Global markets rally as Athens Stock Exchange hits 17-year high

Global financial markets experienced a significant upward trend, driven by cooling bond yields and optimism regarding US monetary policy. Wall Street saw strong gains, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all rising by over 1%. This rally was fueled by statements from Federal Reserve official Christopher Waller, who suggested support for maintaining current interest rates if inflationary pressures continue to subside.

In Greece, the Athens Stock Exchange achieved a major milestone, with the General Index closing at 2,691.43 points, a 1.62% increase. This represents a 17-year high, the highest closing level since November 2009. The recovery was led by the banking sector and large-cap stocks, including Lamda Development, Viohalco, and Jumbo. Investors are also closely monitoring the upcoming rebalancing of the Stoxx and FTSE Russell indices, which follows Greece's reclassification from an emerging to a developed market.

Asian markets also trended positively, with notable gains in South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng. The broader market sentiment remains focused on upcoming US employment data and the Federal Reserve's next policy decisions.