The number of Americans filing for unemployment aid booked 254,000 in the week ended July 9, unchanged from last week's 254,000, whereas market analysts anticipated an increase to 265,000 claims in the reported week, fresh figures from the Department of Labor showed on Thursday. This marks 71 consecutive weeks of initial jobless claims below 300,000, the longest streak since 1973.
Wall Street opened elevated on Thursday amid the release of better than expected US weekly initial jobless claims and PPI data. At the session start, the S&P 500 Index jumped 0.59% to 2,165.09, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index gained 0.67%, opening at 18,494.87, and the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.70%, starting at 5,040.87 points.
Canadian new home prices grew 0.7% month-over-month on a non-seasonally adjusted basis in May, surpassing the previous month's hike of 0.3%, whereas market analysts predicted a slight fall to 0.2% in the reported month, fresh data from Statistics Canada showed on Thursday. The NHPI increased for 14 consecutive months.
The Bank of England decided to keep its key interest rates at 0.50% on Thursday, whereas analysts expected the central bank to cut its Bank Rate to 0.25 %, following the June 23 referendum. Once the data was released, the British Pound advanced 2% against the US Dollar, trading at $1.34 on the London Stock Exchange.
Major US stock indices opened in the green on Wednesday. At the session start, the S&P 500 Index jumped 0.18%, opening at 2,155.92, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index increased 0.17% to start at 18,378.76, and the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.25% to open the trading day at 5,035.20 points.
US import prices rose 0.2% in June, compared to the 1.4% growth seen in the previous month, when the Import Price Index posted the largest increase since March 2012, fresh data from the Department of Labor showed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, analysts expected the 0.5% gain in the reported month. The indicator remained in expansion territory for four consecutive months.
Japan's industrial production dropped 2.6% on a month-over-month seasonally adjusted basis in May, final numbers from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed on Wednesday, following the 0.5% increase seen in the previous month. Analysts expected the country's industrial output to fall 2.2% in the reported month.
China's trade surplus rose to $48.11 billion in June, whereas market analysts anticipated a decrease to $44.6 billion, down from the 49.80 billion surplus seen in the previous month. Exports jumped 1.3% in yuan terms year-over-year in June, surpassing the 0.3% rise forecast and following last month's 1.2% increase, while imports dropped 2.3%, missing the 1.2% fall forecast and following
According to fresh figures released by the EU's statistical office Eurostat on Wednesday, the Euro zone's industrial output rose 0.5% on a year-over-year basis in May, down from the 2.0% growth seen in the previous month, whereas analysts anticipated a deceleration to 1.4% in the reported month.
US JOLTS report showed job openings dropped to 5.500 million in May from the previous month's reading of 5.788 million, the highest point since the series began in December 2000, the Department of Labor said on Tuesday. Analysts anticipated a decrease to 5.630 million vacant positions in the reported month.
Major US stock markets opened in the green on Tuesday, as investors kept an eye on the JOLTS report. At session start, the S&P 500 Index advanced 0.44% to 2,146.47, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index gained 0.39% to open at 18,297.54, and the Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.64% to start at 5,020.33 points.
Germany's consumer prices rose 0.3% on an annual non-seasonally adjusted basis in June, following May's 0.1% and meeting the preliminary reading as well as the market forecast. Month-over-month, the German CPI increased 0.1% in the reported month, in line with the previous month's reading and the flash print.
The Australian Dollar advanced 1.3% against its US counterpart by 11:05 GMT on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday, trading around $0.7630 ahead of the North American session, as the NAB Business Confidence Index increased to 6 in June from May's 3, while the NAB Business Conditions Index rose from 10 to 12 in the reported month.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose 2.88%, trading at $46.05 per barrel, whereas Brent futures increased 3.16%, trading at $47.71 per barrel by 11:20 GMT on Tuesday. Meanwhile, gold prices dropped 0.46% to trade at $1,350.30 per troy ounce, whereas silver prices advanced 0.30% to trade at $20.365 per ounce.
The US labour market conditions index came in at -1.9 in June, surpassing the previous month's reading of -4.8, whereas market analysts anticipated an increase to 0.0 in the reported month, fresh figures from the Federal Reserve showed on Monday. The index remained in the negative territory since December 2015.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.24% to trade at $45.52 per barrel, whereas Brent futures advanced 0.26% to trade at $46.88 per barrel by 14:00 GMT on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. Meanwhile, gold prices grew 0.03%, trading at $1,358.80 per troy ounce, and silver prices jumped 1.52%, trading at $20.405 per ounce.
Wall Street opened Monday's trading session in the green, after US non-farm payrolls jumped more than expected last week. At the session start, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 0.20% to 2,134.09, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index added 0.19% to open at 18,181.94, and the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.40% to start at 4,976.87 points.
West Texas Intermediate traded 0.89% higher at $45.54 per barrel, whereas Brent futures traded 0.93$ higher at $46.83 per barrel by 14:15 GMT on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Meanwhile, gold prices dropped 0.51%, trading at $1,355.20 per troy ounce, and silver prices fall 0.04%, trading at $19.83 per ounce.
Wall Street opened Friday's trading session higher, as US companies added 287,000 new jobs last moth. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 0.68%, opening at 2,113.40, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index gained 0.72%, starting at 18,023.91, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.59% to open at 4,904.35 points.
US companies created 267,000 new jobs in June, following the previous month's reading of 38,000 and surpassing the 180,000 market. Furthermore, the country's unemployment rate came in at 4.9% in the reported month, compared to May's 4.7%, whereas analysts expected to see an increase to 4.8%.
The Canadian unemployment rate declined to 6.8% in the sixth month of the year, whereas analysts anticipated a rise to 7.0% in June from 6.9% seen in the previous month. In the meantime, the net change in employment dropped by 700 employees in the reported month, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
According to fresh figures released on Thursday, Canada's Ivey Purchasing Managers' Index jumped to 51.7 in sixth month of the year, after dropping to 49.4 points in May, its lowest level since April last year, whereas market analysts expected to see a slight increase to 51.0 points in the reported month.
The Department of Labor said on Thursday that the number of Americans filing for unemployment aid in the week ended July 7 dropped to 254,000, following the previous week's upwardly revised reading of 270,000, while analysts anticipated a slight decrease to 269,000 claims in the reported week.
Fresh figures from the Department of Labor showed on Thursday that private companies in the United States added 172,000 jobs in the sixth month of the year, following the May's reading of 173,000, whereas market analysts predicted private businesses to create 160,000 new jobs in the reported month.