Optimism in the markets: stocks rise and fuels fall

European stock markets are turning green at the opening this Wednesday. At 9:15 AM, the Ibex-35 rose 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%), rising to 5,710.66 points. Germany's most important stock index, the DAX, also opened higher, adding 23,235.22 points, representing a 2.66% increase.

Regarding crude oil, the price of a barrel of Brent—the benchmark in Europe—continues its downward trend. In fact, this morning it has fallen below the $100 barrier again, and at 9:23 AM it stood at $99.98 (-3.84%). The same is true for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude—the benchmark in the United States of America—which at the same time is down 3.82%, settling at 97.51 euros. It is worth noting that the oil costs considered are for delivery three months out. This Tuesday, as it was the last day of the month, the price of Brent surged 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 used by Europeans—is marking -5.63% and stands at 47.9 euros.