Optimism in markets: stocks rise and fuels fall

European stock markets are turning green at the opening this Wednesday. At 9:15 AM, the Ibex-35 is up to 17,494.89 points after closing Tuesday's session at 17,049.6, an increase of +2.61%. For its part, the Euro Stoxx 50 is experiencing similar growth (+2.53%), and is up to 5,710.66 points. Germany's most important stock index, the DAX, has also opened higher and stands at 23,235.22 points, representing an increase of 2.66%.

Regarding crude oil, the price of the Brent barrel – the European benchmark – continues its downward trend. In fact, this morning it has once again fallen below the $100 mark, and at 9:23 AM it was at $99.98 (-3.84%). The same applies to West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude – the United States of America's benchmark – which at the same time has fallen by 3.82%, to stand at 97.51 euros. It should be noted that the oil costs considered are for delivery three months in advance. This Tuesday, as it was the last day of the month, the price of Brent soared to 118.35 when it was traded for May delivery; in contrast, when we took the standard three-month measure, it stood at $103.97.

Natural gas futures are also falling: the TTF – the value taken by Europeans – is down -5.63% and stands at 47.9 euros.