Wall Street shares inched higher on Friday in an shorten session due to the Thanksgiving holiday as the benchmark indexes continued to advance and were poised to record their third successive month of significant climbs. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 4.4 points, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 35 points and the Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 17 points.
Global stocks advanced on Friday with the world equity gauge traded near the highest level in six years poised to record the third successive month of gains amid optimism that global economy is improving as central banks support the growth. The broadest European shares index for seventh straight week as London's FTSE, Paris's CAC 40 and Frankfurt's Dax increased.
West Texas Intermediate crude is set for a third straight month of losses, the longest streak of declines in approximately five years, on increasing OPEC exports and growing supplies in the U.S. WTI Futures advanced 0.6% in New York after declining 1.5% on November 27, while WTI crude oil for January delivery traded at $92.76 a barrel, it is up
European shares were little changed and is set for a third consecutive monthly gains, as data showed that Eurozone's unemployment fell from area's record high. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.2% to 325.67 as of 1:06 p.m. London time, almost reaching the highest level in more than five years. The equity benchmark has advanced 1% this month and 16%
U.K. shares rose, reversing their first one-month decline since August, as data indicated that Eurozone's unemployment surprisingly dropped in October. The FTSE 100 advanced 0.3% to 6,671.62 as of 10:16 a.m. London time, reversing its monthly loss to 0.9%; however, the gauge has jumped 13% this year to date. The FTSE All-Share Index added 0.3 as well, while Ireland's ISEQ
The Australian Dollar dropped to the lowest level in two and a half years and is set for its sixth straight weekly retreat, after unsuccessful foreign takeover that was rejected by government raised worries. The Aussie slid 0.1% to 90.95 U.S. cents at 5:49 p.m. Sydney time, after reaching 90.56, the weakest since September 4. The Kiwi fell 0.1% to
Property prices in the U.K. jumped 0.6% in October of this year from a month ago, while in September they added 1%. Results for October, in turn, matched economists' expectations. On the annual basis housing prices climbed 6.5%, which is significantly higher than in September, when they rose 5.8%. Nationwide company's data shows that the average house price reached 174,566
Consumer spending in France declined in October of this year, as it slumped for the third consecutive month in a row. In September in August, in turn, spending lost 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively. Analysts forecasted the indicator to add 0.2%. The French spent 1.4% more on food, while energy consumption lost 4.9%. On the annual basis, spending decreased 0.1% despite
The consumer price index in Japan advanced 0.9% in October of the current year on the annual basis. The result, in turn, remained unchanged from the previous month and matched analysts' forecasts. At the same time, the current inflation pace in the country is the highest since the beginning of the financial crisis, November 2008. Still, economists predict the inflation
Activity in the manufacturing sector of Japan inched up in November of this year, as the benchmark PMI index, which measures the level of activity in this particular sector of the economy, surged to 55.1 points from 54.2 a month ago. Therefore, the manufacturing activity in the country advances for the ninth month in a row, as the PMI indicator
The Australian currency is forecast to record the largest drop in a five-year period against its most-traded counterparts after the Reserve Bank of Australia's policymakers signaled that the currency intervention may be a choice, 30 years after cancelling the exchange controls. The so-called Aussie traded at 91.21 U.S. cents by 8:24 a.m. London time.
The British currency advanced on Thursday rising for the third straight session against the U.S. Dollar on signs that the United Kingdom economy improved and before the Bank of England showed its financial-sector stability report. The Pound gained 0.1% to $1.6304 as of 9:13 a.m. in London following a jump to $1.6346, the most since January 2.
The South Korean currency slipped on Thursday falling to the lowest level in a two-week period amid speculation that the country's exporters lost advantage against their Japanese peers as the Yen declined today. The South Korean Won fell 0.4% to 1,064.74 per U.S. Dollar, the least since November 15, and it closed at 1,061.35 per U.S. Dollar in Seoul.
West Texas Intermediate oil fluctuated on Thursday and traded close to the weakest level in a six-month period and recorded the largest spread to Brent crude after a report showed that inventories in the U.S. gained for 10th week. WTI for delivery in January slipped 12 cents and traded at $92.18 a barrel on the NYMEX as of 10:15 a.m.
The shared currency strengthened on Thursday rising to the highest level in four years against the Japanese Yen after a report showed that year-on-year inflation in Germany's Saxony region rose for the first time in a five-month period suggesting that the ECB may not cut its interest rates further. The Euro jumped 0.2% to 138.96 Yen as of 10:28 a.m.
European equities increased on Thursday heading for the third monthly advance amid speculation that yesterday's closing prices near five-year highs were overvalued and as stocks in the U.S. and Asia grew. The benchmark index Stoxx Europe 600 jumped 0.2% to 324.59 as of 8:06 a.m. London time and it has gained 0.5% this month.
Business confidence in Italy advanced more than economists originally expected in November, a data unveiled by the statistical office Istat showed on Thursday. According to the report, Italy's manufacturing sector confidence index rose from 974 recorded in October to 98.1 in November, while it was forecast to climb to 97.5.
New commercial vehicles demand in Europe advanced in the month of October totaling 158,960 registrations, the latest figure published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association revealed on Thursday. According to the report, commercial vehicle registration jumped 8.1% in October after it recorded a 6.1% gain in the prior month.
The performance of Philippine's economy eased to the lowest level in more than a year in the three months until September, moreover, the typhoon hitting the area this month may reduce the economic activity further. The gross domestic product of the nation rose annually by 7.0% in the Q3 following a 7.3% advance in the quarter before.
Unemployment in the Europe's largest economy increased to the highest level in more than two-and-a-half year in November, however, the jobless rate remained near its historical low, the Labour Office reported on Thursday. According to the report, the total number of unemployed people in Germany grew by 10,000 to 2.985 million and the jobless rate stayed at 6.9%.
An indicator measuring inflation expectations in Germany advanced from the weakest level in an eighteen-month period before a report showed that consumer prices in the 17-nation bloc currency increased in November. The harmonized annual inflation rate jumped from 1.2% recorded in October to a level of 1.3% in November.
Manufacturing activity in the world's second largest economy increased in November, however, the pace of growth was slower than in the prior month amid weaker demand, a survey released by the HSBC and Markit Economics revealed on Thursday. The country's purchasing managers' index of the manufacturing sector eased from 51.4 in October to 51.1 in November.
The Japanese currency declined on Thursday traded near lows against the 17-nation bloc currency and the U.S. Dollar and it recorded the worst monthly performance in 2013 as investors' appetite for low-yielding currencies decreased. The Yen fell 0.3% to 139.15 Yen, traded close to 4-year low at 139.26, while it slipped to 102.20 per U.S. Dollar.
Wall Street shares closed higher on Wednesday with the benchmark indexes the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones reaching historical highs as companies from Apple Inc. to Hewlett-Packard showed their earnings boosting the markets up. The Dow Jones industrial average added 0.15% to 16,097.33, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 0.25% to 1,807.23 and the Nasdaq Composite Index gained