Japan stocks higher at close of trade
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Transport, Shipbuilding and Railway & Bus sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.18 percent. Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2566 to 976 and 268 ended unchanged. Shares in Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. rose to 52-week highs; gaining 5.23 percent or 130.00 to 2,616.00. The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 16.81 percent to 18.66. Crude oil for January delivery was up 0.70 percent or 0.50 to $71.96 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in February rose 0.67 percent or 0.51 to hit $76.66 a barrel, while the February Gold Futures contract rose 0.27 percent or 4.90 to trade at $1,806.40 a troy ounce.
Sensex sinks 389 pts
Stock market highlights: Bucking the global trend, domestic equity markets fell on Friday bogged down by profit booking in IT stocks, and heavyweights like Reliance Industries, L&T, and financials. The S&P BSE Sensex, which started about 100 points higher, erased gains and dropped over 700 points from the day’s high to hit a low of 61,889. The index, eventually, closed at 62,182, down 389 points or 0.62 percent. The Nifty50, meanwhile, breached below the 18,500-mark and ended at 18,497, down 113 points or 0.61 percent. It hit a low of 18,410 during the day. In the broader markets, the MidCap and SmallCap indices shed 0.45 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Sectorally, defensive indices like the Nifty FMCG and Pharma held gains as they rose 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent.
France stocks lower at close of trade
France stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Technology, Healthcare and Industrials sectors led shares lower. At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 lost 0.41 percent, while the SBF 120 index declined 0.44 percent. Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 349 to 195 and 96 ended unchanged. The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was unchanged 0.00 percent to 18.96 a new 52-week high. Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.73 percent or 13.05 to $1,795.45 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January fell 2.48 percent or 1.84 to hit $72.41 a barrel, while the February Brent oil contract fell 2.23 percent or 1.77 to trade at $77.58 a barrel.
UK’s FTSE 100 falls
UK’s FTSE 100 was dragged lower by consumer staples stocks on Thursday after British American Tobacco warned of rising costs, while investors worried about the outlook for the economy. The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent, while the FTSE 250 was up 0.1 percent by 08:14 GMT. British American Tobacco fell 1.9 percent after the cigarette maker said it expects finance costs to rise. The FTSE 350 Food, Beverage and Tobacco index fell 1 percent. A Recruitment and Employment Confederation survey showed signs that demand for staff and pay growth eased in November, ahead of the Bank of England’s rate hike decision next week. DS Smith rose 2.1 percent after the cardboard maker said it expects annual performance to be ahead of its prior outlook on higher box prices and resilient demand from consumer goods companies.
S&P 500 rebounds on tech boost
The S&P 500 index gained ground on Thursday, boosted by technology shares, while a rise in weekly jobless claims suggested the labor market was slowing down. Wall Street’s main indexes have come under pressure in recent days, with the benchmark shedding 3.6 percent in the past five sessions on expectations of a longer rate-hike cycle and downbeat views on the economy from some top company executives. However, investors drew some comfort on Thursday after data showed the number of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits increased moderately last week, while unemployment rolls hit a 10-month high toward the end of November. The report follows data last Friday that showed US employers hired more workers than expected in November and increased wages, spurring fears that the Fed might stick to its aggressive stance as it attempts to tame decades-high inflation.
Saudi Arabia stocks higher at close of trade
Saudi Arabia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Cement, Industrial Investment and Financial Services sectors led shares higher. At the close in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All Share gained 0.60 percent. Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Saudi Arabia Stock Exchange by 142 to 95 and 14 ended unchanged. Crude oil for January delivery was up 2.89 percent or 2.08 to $74.09 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in February rose 1.46 percent or 1.13 to hit $78.30 a barrel, while the February Gold Futures contract rose 0.16 percent or 2.85 to trade at $1,800.85 a troy ounce. EUR/SAR was up 0.18 percent to 3.96, while USD/SAR unchanged 0.01 percent to 3.76. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.04 percent at 105.01.
Canada stocks-TSX dips for fifth day
Canada’s main stock index closed slightly lower on Thursday as a drop in oil prices weighed on high-flying energy shares and a senior Bank of Canada official left the door open to additional interest rate hikes. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended down 4.03 points at 19,969.19, its fifth straight day of declines and its lowest closing level since November 17. The Bank of Canada will study the most recent economic data to gauge whether to raise interest rates further, Deputy Governor Sharon Kozicki said, adding the central bank would still move forcefully if necessary. Wall Street’s major indexes gained ground, with the S&P 500 .SPX snapping its losing streak, as investors took data showing a rise in weekly jobless claims as a sign the pace of interest rate hikes could soon slow. The Toronto market’s energy sector declined 0.6 percent as the price of oil CLc1 fell to its lowest level this year, settling down 0.8 percent at $71.46 a barrel.