NEW YORK, New York - With casualties soaring well past 1,000, the ever-expanding, seemingly out-of-control war against Iran, kept buyers at bay in the U.S. and across the world on Thursday. One bright light was the Israeli stock index in Tel Aviv, which surged once more, having enjoyed one of its best weeks in its history.

Wall Street's major indices ended the session lower, dragged down by industrial and financial components. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 784.67 points, or 1.61 percent, to settle at 47,954.74. The losses were broad, with the index moving between a low of 47,577.11 and a high of 48,526.73 during the session.

The broader Standard and Poor's 500 also finished in the red, declining 38.79 points (0.56 percent) to close at 6,830.71 on a heavy trading volume of 3.617 billion. The index, which has a 52-week range between 4,835.04 and 7,002.28, showed relative resilience compared to the Dow but still reflected widespread investor caution.

The NASDAQ Composite fared the best among the major U.S. averages, slipping just 58.50 points, or 0.26 percent, to end the day at 22,748.99. Tech stocks provided some support to the market, though selling pressure was evident with a high volume of 8.588 billion shares changing hands.

In currency markets, the U.S. Dollar strengthened amid the risk-off sentiment. The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.30 points (0.30 percent) to 99.06, hovering near the top of its daily range between 98.67 and 99.41.

The British Pound Currency Index slipped 0.13 points (0.10 percent) to 133.61, while the Euro Currency Index declined 0.24 points (0.21 percent).

The Japanese Yen Currency Index edged lower by 0.19 points (0.30 percent) to 63.49, and the Australian Dollar Currency Index saw a more pronounced drop of 0.66 points (0.93 percent), last trading at 70.10.

Global Markets Mixed as European Stocks Slide While Asian Indices Rally

Global financial markets delivered a volatile, divisive, performance on Thursday, with major Canadian, UK and European indices closing firmly in the red amid persistent economic concerns emanating from the widening war in the Gulf, which has seen Iran, the world's fourth largest OPEC producer, decimated. Asian markets saw profit-taking which boosted some indices across the region.

Canadian markets followed the negative trend. The S&P/TSX Composite Index fell 332.89 points (0.98 percent) to close at 33,609.97 on volume of 322.753 million.

In London, the FTSE 100 dropped 153.71 points, or 1.45 percent, to settle at 10,413.94. Germany's DAX P experienced a steep decline, losing 389.61 points (1.61 percent) to close at 23,815.75.

Investors in Europe reacted to the ongoing uncertainty, sending benchmark indices sharply lower. The selling pressure was broad-based, dragging the indices away from recent highs.

 France's CAC 40 finished firmly lower, shedding 121.93 points, or 1.49 percent, to end the session at 8,045.80.

The broader European market reflected this negative sentiment. The EURO STOXX 50 I fell by 88.03 points (1.50 percent) to 5,782.89, while the pan-European Euronext 100 Index declined 21.31 points, closing at 1,757.55, a loss of 1.20 percent.

Belgium's BEL 20 also retreated, dropping 53.60 points (1.01 percent) to 5,260.18. 

However, the trading session painted a completely different picture in Asia, where most indices posted solid gains. Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX edged up 71.86 points (0.28 percent) to 25,321.34, while the STI Index in Singapore climbed 33.81 points (0.70 percent) to 4,846.56.

Australian markets also finished higher. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 39.10 points (0.44 percent) to 8,940.30, and the broader ALL ORDINARIES gained 47.80 points (0.52 percent) to close at 9,164.90.

In a significant rally, India's S&P BSE SENSEX surged 899.71 points (1.14 percent) to finish at 80,015.90. Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE posted even stronger gains, jumping 133.47 points (1.76 percent) to 7,710.54. Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 14.98 points (0.88 percent) to 1,713.20, and New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS advanced 86.77 points (0.64 percent) to close at 13,617.89.

The standout performances of the day came from Northeast Asia. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index skyrocketed, adding a staggering 490.36 points, or 9.63 percent, to close at 5,583.90. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index also saw explosive growth, jumping 844.06 points (2.57 percent) to end at 33,672.94. Japan's Nikkei 225 was another major winner, soaring 1,032.52 points (1.90 percent) to a closing level of 55,278.06.

Elsewhere in the region, China's SSE Composite Index on the Shanghai Stock Exchange added 26.09 points (0.64 percent) to reach 4,108.57, with a trading volume of 255.177 million.

In the Middle East and Africa, Israel's TA-125 index was again a stand-out performer, climbing 64.09 points (1.50 percent) to 4,331.85. 

Curiously, Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index also posted a healthy gain, rising 1,064.30 points or 2.29 percent to close at 47,516.40 on a volume of 443.405 million.

In a more pronounced negative move, South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index tumbled 192.85 points, or 2.59 percent, to 7,248.57.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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