Markets on Edge: Global Stocks Hold Steady Amid High-Stakes Talks

Global markets remained largely steady on Friday, with stocks trading close to record highs, as investors awaited pivotal talks in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Anticipation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut saw short-term U.S. Treasury bond yields slide.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached another record high, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq experienced slight losses, driven by setbacks in technology, utilities, and financial sectors. "The market's upward movement is chiefly about earnings and margins," commented Talley Leger from The Wealth Consulting Group.

Across the Atlantic, European stocks touched near five-month peaks, buoyed by strong earnings reports. However, uncertainty over the outcome of the Trump-Putin meeting has left investors cautious, with broader geopolitical tensions keeping markets on a knife edge.

(With inputs from agencies.)