Nikkei Stock Average 225 down 0.09 percent at 10,575.89.
KOSPI Index down 0.33 pct at 1,654.62.
Shanghai Composite Index down 0.22 pct at 3,046.48.
US Markets
US Markets ended flat on Monday.Dow Jones industrial average was down 14 points,down 0.13 percent, to 10,553. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended flat at 1,139. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index ended higher to settle 2,332
Britain’s FTSE 100 index ended up 1.31 percent up 73 points to 5,600,Germany’s DAX ended up 1.42 percent up 82 points to 5,877,France’s CAC 40 ended up 2.14 percent at 3,910.
Commodities
Crude oil was up 38 cents to trade at $81.88 a barrel.Gold settle at $1,138 an ounce.
Asian markets were trading in green on Monday morning. China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.34% or 10.43 points at 3,041.50. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.50% or 311.74 points at 21,099.71. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.71% or 177.28 points at 10,546.24. Singapore’s Straits Times rose 1.39% or 38.80 points at 2,829.09. South Korea’s Seoul Composite surged 1.13% or 18.39 points at 1,652.96. Taiwan’s Taiwan Weighted added 0.88% or 67.64 points at 7,733.90.
US Markets ended higher on Friday.Dow Jones industrial average was up 122 points,up 1.17 percent, to 10,566. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended higher at 1,139. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index ended higher to settle 2,326.
US stocks jumped and the Nasdaq hit an 18-month closing high on Friday as US employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month and consumers showed signs of shedding their penny-pinching ways.
The broader market got a lift from smaller-than-expected job losses, after U.S. data showed nonfarm payrolls shed 36,000 jobs in February compared with expectations in a Reuters poll for a loss of 50,000. Investors had been concerned severe winter weather that affected swaths of the country would cause a larger drop in payrolls.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 122.06 points, or 1.17%, to end at 10,566.20. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 15.73 points, or 1.40%, to 1,138.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 34.04 points, or 1.48%, to 2,326.35.
The Dow and the S&P 500 closed at their highest levels in six weeks. The S&P 500 is now off only 1% from a 15-month closing high set on Jan 19, having clawed back from a drop of more than 8% through Feb.8. All three indexes are now positive for the year. For the week the Dow rose 2.3%, the Nasdaq added 3.9% and the S&P 500 climbed 3.1%.
Indian ADRs ended higher on Friday. In the IT space, Infosys and Satyam were up over 2% each at $ 59.56 and $ 5.69 respectively. Patni Computers was up 1.54% at $ 21.73 and Wipro ended up 0.94% at $ 22.62.
In the telecom space, Tata Communication surged 3.92% at $ 12.99 and MTNL was up 0.93% at $ 3.27. In the banking space, ICICI Bank gained 3.51% at $ 40.96 and HDFC Bank was up nearly 2% at $ 127.09.
In other sectors, Tata Motors advanced by 4.39% at $ 18.56. Sterlite Industries and Dr Reddy’s Labs were up 2.04% and 1.38% respectively at $ 18.01 and $ 25.66 respectively.
For Stock Tips
Nikkei Stock Average 225 up 2.10 percent at 10,358.51.
KOSPI Index down 0.77 pct at 1,630.61.
Shanghai Composite Index down 0.44 pct at 3,036.78.
Dow Jones industrial average was up 47 points,up 0.45 percent, to 10,444. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended higher at 1,123. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index ended higher to settle 2,292.
US mkts eked out modest gains after some encouraging economic news ahead of jobs report later today; Indian ADRs ended mixed; Satyam Comp up 2.4%
The US markets eked out modest gains after some encouraging economic news ahead of the jobs report later today. Consumer stocks were the top performers on better-than-expected retail-sales reports. Earlier stocks had bobbled midmorning after a report showed an unexpected drop in pending-home sales.
Strength among financials helped the broader market shrug off a stronger dollar, which gained 0.7% against competing currencies.
At closing bell, the Dow Jones gained 47.38 or half a percent, to close at 10,444.14. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also posted modest gains.
In key economic data to watch initial jobless claims for the week ended Feb 27 totaled 469,000, which was in-line with the consensus call. Continuing claims dropped more than expected to 4.50 million. In other economic news, pending home sales for January fell 7.6% month-over-month. A 1% monthly increase had been expected. Factory orders for January increased 1.7%, which was in stride with the 1.8% increase that had been widely expected. Retailers dominated corporate news flow with the release of February same-store sales figures, which was higher than expected.
The dollar rose versus the euro, which was pressured in the wake of the decision by both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to keep target interest rates unchanged. The Bank of England also kept its quantitative easing measures unchanged. The dollar index is hovering around that 80 mark.
Still, the greenback’s gain hurt commodity prices. Specifically, oil futures prices fell 0.8%, however crude prices were able to hold on to the $ 80 per barrel level.
Copper prices fell for the first time in five sessions after a report showed an unexpected drop in US home-sales, spurring concern that demand from builders will remain weak. Lead, nickel, tin and zinc prices also fell. Aluminum prices however saw an up move.
Indian ADRs ended mixed on Thursday. In IT space, Satyam Computers was up 2.4% at $ 5.55, Patni Computers was up 0.14% at $ 21.4 while Infosys ended down 1.44% at $ 58.19 and Wipro ended down 0.8% at $ 22.41.
In Telecom space, MTNL was up 0.62% at $ 3.24 while Tata Communication was down 0.08% at $ 12.5. In Banking space, HDFC Bank was up 0.26% at $ 124.7 while ICICI Bank was down 1.2% at $ 39.57.
In other sectors, Tata Motors ended up 0.79% at $ 17.78 while Sterlite Industries was down 1.56% at $ 17.65 and Dr Reddy’s Labs was down 0.86% at $ 25.31.
European Markets ended higher on Wednesday.Britain’s FTSE 100 index ended up 0.90 percent up 49 points to 5,533 ,Germany’s DAX ended up 0.72 percent up 41 points to 5,818,France’s CAC 40 ended up 0.80 percent at 3,843 .
Commodities
Crude oil was up 1 cents to trade at $80.88 a barrel.Gold settle at $1,144 an ounce.
Asian mkts trading mixed; Hang Seng up 0.38%, Shanghai Composite, Nikkei 225 flat
Asian markets were trading mixed on Thursday morning. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.38% or 79.42 points at 20,956.21. Singapore’s Straits Times was up 0.15% or 4.17 points at 2,786.96.
While other markets were trading flat. China’s Shanghai Composite was flat at 3,101.16. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat at 10,250.18. South Korea’s Seoul Composite was flat at 1,622.72. Taiwan’s Taiwan Weighted was flat at 7,634.83.
US mkts ended flat as Washington ramped up reforms in Healthcare & financial sectors; Indian ADRs ended mixed; Wipro down 1.14% US Markets ended flat on Wednesday.Dow Jones industrial average was down 9 points,down 0.09 percent, to 10,397. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended flat at 1,119 . The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index ended flat to settle 2,281.
The US markets ended flat, off intra-day highs. The Dow snapped a three-day winning streak as Washington ramped up reforms in the Health Care and financial sectors and as the Fed’s beige-book report showed the economy is improving but not at a fast enough pace to spur hiring.
Greece unveiling plan to cut deficit led to some gains in early trade but the market was unable to sustain the up move.
The late slide left the S&P 500 flat below the 1125 level, which is seen as a crucial level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed about 10 points, or 0.1%, closing just below 10,400. The Nasdaq too ended flat.
There was a flurry of economic news yesterday, the Fed’s beige book reported that while the recovery is on, growth hasn’t been enough to persuade companies to increase hiring and drive down the unemployment rate.
Earlier, the ISM said its gauge of the services sector rose to 53 in February; it’s highest since December 2007. Economists had expected the gauge to hold at 50.5, where it was in January.
Meanwhile, ADP reported the private sector shed 20,000 jobs in February, less than the upwardly-revised 60,000 loss in January. The jobs reports were an encouraging sign ahead of Friday’s employment report.
The dollar fell versus the euro after Greece announced plans for a further 6.5 billion dollar in pay cuts and tax hikes to reduce its deficit, easing worries about the country’s debt crisis. The dollar index is hovering around the 80 mark.
Commodities had a strong session on the dollar’s weakness that pushed the CRB commodity index back above its 50-day moving average.
Oil futures prices surged 1.5% higher above the USD 80 per barrel mark. This up move is despite a larger than expected weekly inventory build of 4.03 million barrels.
Copper prices rose for a fourth straight session as the dollar declined, enhancing the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment. Other base metals too gained.
Indian ADRs ended mixed on Wednesday. In IT space, Wipro was down 1.14% at $ 22.59, Infosys was down 0.07% at $ 59.04 while Patni Computers was unchanged at $ 21.37 and Satyam Computers was up 0.18% at $ 5.42.
In Telecom space, Tata Communication was down 0.32% at $ 12.51 while MTNL was up 1.58% at $ 3.22. In Banking space, HDFC Bank was down 0.3% at $ 124.38 while ICICI Bank was up 1.93% at $ 40.05.
In other sectors, Tata Motors was up 0.8% at $ 17.64, Dr Reddy’s Labs was up 0.31% at $ 25.53 and Sterlite Industries was up 2.22% at $ 17.93.
European Stocks Ended Higher
Britain’s FTSE 100 index ended up 1.45 percent up 78 points to 5,484 ,Germany’s DAX ended up 1.10 percent up 63 points to 5,777 ,France’s CAC 40 ended up 1.12 percent at 3,812 .
Commodities
Crude oil was up 7 cents to trade at $79.76 a barrel.Gold settle at $1,137 an ounce.