Markets split during November 9–13. US and major European benchmarks advanced, South Korea and Japan rallied, but Hong Kong and mainland China lagged. AI uncertainty and a stronger dollar accompanied gains, while late-week selling exposed uneven confidence.

US Equities Recover as Technology Volatility Returns

The S&P 500 gained 2.51%, the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.27%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 2.07%, and the Russell 2000 added 1.32%. The US Dollar Index strengthened 1.73%. US benchmarks recorded their first winning week since early October, according to the Associated Press, although the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 fell on Friday as technology shares weakened, while the Dow edged up 0.10%.

The late-week shock followed news of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang’s resignation, unsettling the AI trade. Weekly gains absorbed the setback, but the Nasdaq’s smaller advance than the Dow suggests investors remained selective rather than uniformly embracing risk.

European Gains Contrast With a Stronger Dollar

Germany’s DAX rose 3.60%, France’s CAC 40 gained 2.82%, and the FTSE 100 advanced 2.14%. The MSCI Europe index, quoted in US dollars in the supplied data, fell 0.39%. Local-currency national benchmarks and a dollar-denominated regional index measure different exposures, so their returns are not directly interchangeable.

Reuters reported that the STOXX 600 gained more than 2%, its strongest weekly performance since late June, supported by earnings and bank shares. Eurozone GDP expanded 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter. The dollar’s 1.73% rise matters because currency movements change overseas returns when translated into dollars.

Asia Splits as Technology and China Risks Diverge

The KOSPI climbed 5.41%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 4.03%. By contrast, the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.41%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 3.45%, the weakest result among the Asian indices shown.

Market reports highlighted pressure on China-based internet and AI shares amid concern that US lawmakers could tighten semiconductor-export restrictions. Combined with Nvidia-related volatility, this kept attention on the region’s technology supply chain. Korea and Japan’s gains alongside losses in Hong Kong and Shanghai show sharply different country and sector exposures.

Israeli Shares Hold Weekly Gains Despite Friday Selling

The TA-35 gained 2.46%, while the TA-125 rose 2.36%. Both ended Friday lower, with the supplied screenshots showing declines of 0.88% and 1.32%, respectively. Earlier strength helped preserve five-day gains: the TA-35 rose 1.84% on Monday, led by communication, insurance and biomed shares. Later sessions were uneven, with banking, financial and insurance shares weakening midweek and insurance, financial and real-estate stocks leading Friday’s losses.

Friday’s breadth was weak: 282 shares declined against 160 advancers on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The pullback did not erase weekly gains, but showed that the rally lost momentum at the close. Improving breadth will be important to the recovery’s durability.

The next test is US October retail sales on Tuesday, November 17, followed by the Federal Reserve’s October meeting minutes on Wednesday, November 18. Retail data will test consumer resilience; the minutes may clarify policymakers’ inflation assessment. Investors will watch AI shares and the dollar. Israel’s test is whether weekly gains hold if financial and real-estate weakness persists.