European stocks climb at open
European stock markets rose at the open Friday, as traders looked ahead to key US jobs data later in the session. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index gained 0.3 percent to 7,655.65 points, building on a positive start to the year for stock markets generally. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX index climbed 0.2 percent to 14,468.60 points and the Paris CAC 40 won 0.3 percent to 6,781.14.
Japan’s Nikkei ends higher
Japan’s Nikkei share average reversed early losses to end higher on Friday, as investors bought back beaten-down stocks with the yen weakening against the dollar. The Nikkei rose 0.59 percent to close at 25,973.85, after opening lower following Wall Street’s weak finish overnight. The index lost 0.46 percent for the holiday-shortened week. Wall Street’s main indexes lost more than 1 percent, with the Nasdaq leading the declines, as evidence of a tight labour market eroded hopes that the Federal Reserve could pause its rate hike cycle anytime soon as it stays focused on taming inflation. The broader Topix rose 0.37 percent to 1,875.76 and lost 0.84 percent for the week. Nikkei’s heavyweights lifted the index, with chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron rising 3.51 percent and technology investor SoftBank Group climbing 1.24 percent. Drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo climbed 3.51 percent. Sony Group rose 2.41 percent and Honda Motor gained 1.93 percent after the chairman of Sony Honda Mobility said their year-old electric-vehicle joint venture is in early discussions about a potential stock offering to raise cash. Shipping firms jumped 3.27 percent to become the best performer among the 33 industry sub-indxes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Energy explorers rose 2.42 percent.
Sensex closes 450 pts
Indian indices shed for the third day in a row to end the first week of 2023 on a negative note. Investors remained nervous ahead of the earnings season after recent warnings by some major companies. Sensex slipped below 60,000 to close at 59,900. Sensex went below 59,700 intraday but recovered some losses. Nifty also slipped by 132 points to close at 17,859. IT indices remained under pressure due to global negative cues and shed 2 percent on Thursday’s trading. Media and Bank also ended with significant losses. FMCG, Energy and Consumer Durable closed flat with all other indices ending lower than yesterday’s close. JSW Steel, TCS, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv and Tech Mahindra dropped more than 2 percent and featured prominently among laggards. Reliance and Britannia gained around a percent on Thursday’s trading. Japan’s Nikkei share average reversed early losses to end higher on Friday as investors bought back beaten-down stocks with the yen weakening against the dollar. The Nikkei rose 0.59 percent after opening lower following Wall Street’s weak finish overnight. The index lost 0.46 percent for the holiday-shortened week.
CAC 40 down 0.22pc
France stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Oil & Gas, Gas & Water and General Financial sectors led shares lower. At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 declined 0.22 percent, while the SBF 120 index fell 0.22 percent. Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 290 to 267 and 79 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 down 1.08 percent or 20.10 to $1,838.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 1.43 percent or 1.04 to hit $73.88 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 1.13 percent or 0.88 to trade at $78.72 a barrel.
FTSE 100 continues rally
The FTSE 100 has managed to extend gains to a fourth straight session and is on track for its biggest weekly jump in two months, while European stocks were mixed on Friday. The FTSE 100 climbed 0.28 percent to 7,655 in midday trading, while the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.28 percent at 6,780 points. In Germany, the DAX was flat at 14,431. The UK’s blue-chip index hit a nine-month high, boosted by Shell and other commodity-linked stocks. Shell jumped 1.15 percent after it said earnings from its liquefied natural gas trading operations are likely to have been significantly higher in the fourth quarter of last year. Miners took an early lead, with precious and base metal miners rising more than 1 percent each as the related commodity prices rose. Anglo American rose 2.68 percent, Endeavour Mining climbed 3.60 percent and Rio Tinto was up by 1.72 percent. The FTSE 100, meanwhile, has been helped along by some sterling weakness which translates into higher overseas earnings values for many of its constituent companies, and has added 2.7 percent so far this week.
Canada stocks-TSX pulls back from 3-week high
Canada’s main stock index fell on Thursday, pulling back from a three-week high the day before, with the technology and industrial sectors leading declines after U.S. data showed tight labor conditions in the United States. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE ended down 81.99 points, or 0.4 percent, at 19,506.84, after posting on Wednesday its highest closing level since Dec. 15. Wall Street’s main indexes were also in the red as fresh evidence of a tight labor market and hawkish comments from Federal Reserve policymakers deepened fears of elevated interest rates for longer than expected. Technology fell 1.8 percent, industrials lost 1.3 percent and heavily-weighted financials ended 0.8 percent lower. Among the biggest decliners was precious metals miner Fortuna Silver Mines IncFVI.TO. Its shares tumbled 10.4 percent after its Mexican subsidiary received an official notice that environmental clearances for its San Jose mine are being reassessed. Energy was a bright spot, rallying 0.9 percent, as oil CLc1 clawed back some of this week’s losses.