Global Markets Cautious: European Stock Markets Slightly Up, Asia Positive; Focus on Mexico Due to Falling Consumer Confidence and Trade Balance

European stock markets opened May 9 cautiously but positively, while Asia closed higher. In Mexico, attention is focused on the release of the revised trade balance and the recent data indicating a further decline in consumer confidence.

This Friday, May 9, 2025, saw mixed economic performance in global financial markets, with a slight recovery in some European and Asian markets.

However, in Mexico, domestic indicators such as consumer confidence are raising red flags. European Market Opening (Early ET) * The AEX Amsterdam index opened the session with a slight gain of 0.28%, standing at 904.43 points.

With this move, the AEX has accumulated three consecutive days of gains, showing a rise of 0.76% in the last week, although year-on-year it still registers a decline of 0.68%.

* The Vienna ATX index opened the day virtually unchanged, with a positive 0.02% increase, reaching 4,294.79 points. This index stands out for its eight consecutive sessions in positive territory, accumulating an increase of 4.24% in the last week and a robust 16.5% in the last year.

* For other major European markets such as the IBEX 35 (Madrid), DAX (Frankfurt) and CAC 40 (Paris), specific opening data was not available at the first reporting hours, but the general sentiment conveyed by Amsterdam and Vienna was one of stability.

* Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed on a positive note, rising 0.4% to close at 22,867.74 points. During the session, the index reached a high of 22,907.91 points and a low of 22,692.44. Over the past seven days, the Hang Seng has accumulated a gain of 3.38%, and on a year-over-year basis, maintains an impressive 32.3% increase.

* The NYSE Composite closed the May 8 session at 19,262.4 points, up 0.27%. U.S. index futures and the performance of European and Asian markets will be key in predicting Wall Street's direction at the opening bell this Friday. Key Indicators in Mexico: Consumer Confidence Falls Again. Economic attention in Mexico is focused on two important publications from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI):

* Consumer Confidence (April 2025): Although the full official release by INEGI was scheduled for today, early reports (7:25 AM CST) from sources such as Yahoo News and El Economista, based on advance data, indicate that the April Consumer Confidence Indicator (ICC) fell 0.6 points, standing at 45.3 points. This is the sixth consecutive month of decline in Mexican consumer confidence, a worrying sign for domestic consumption.

* Merchandise Trade Balance (March 2025 – Revised Figures): INEGI also schedules the publication of revised figures for the March trade balance today. The relevant figures, released on April 28, showed a robust surplus of $3.442 billion, with annual export growth of 9.6%.

Today's publication will allow for confirmation or adjustment of this figure, which could impact perceptions of the strength of Mexico's foreign sector. Exchange Rate in Mexico The Mexican peso remains relatively stable against the US dollar. Today, May 9, the average exchange rate stands at 19.52 pesos per dollar.

The previous day's close, May 8, was 19.53 pesos per dollar, remaining below the 20-peso mark. Economic Outlook Analysis: The slight upward trend in some European stock markets and the positive close in Asia could be interpreted as a sign of optimistic caution in international markets.

However, the news of the sixth consecutive monthly decline in consumer confidence in Mexico is a factor that cannot be ignored.

This persistent decline suggests that, despite a global environment that is not uniformly negative, concerns about family finances and the country's overall situation are deeply affecting Mexicans.

This could have a direct impact on domestic consumption, one of the key drivers of the economy. In this context, the publication of the revised March trade balance figures takes on particular significance.

If the data confirm or even improve on the strong surplus reported in the relevant figures, they could offer a narrative counterbalance to consumer pessimism, highlighting the continued strength of Mexico's foreign sector.

However, a downward revision could exacerbate concerns about the overall economic trajectory, suggesting that even the export engine is not immune to a potential slowdown.

Today's session is shaping up to be a microcosm of the current economic tensions: the resilience of the export sector in the face of growing caution among domestic consumers.

Follow market developments and key economic indicators throughout the day on La Verdad Noticias.