Market Update

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closed higher on Thursday, supported by a positive sentiment and economic data that showed a healthy performance by the manufacturing sector. Accordingly, the S&P 500 index closed at a new all-time high, despite a rise in jobless claims in the U.S. The Dow Jones …

Oil prices rose on Thursday after the OPEC+ alliance opted not gradually ease output cuts, which means that no sudden disruptions will hit the market. Recently, there have been concerns about the recovery of the global demand for oil, however, with the recent OPEC decision the gradual increase come in …

Gold prices rose on Thursday for the second consecutive sessions, amid a decline by the U.S. Dollar (USD) after data showed a surge in jobless claims in the United States. The yellow metal futures for June delivery rose by $12.80, or 0.8%, to close at 1,728.40 per ounce. During the …

Active rigs drilling for crude oil in the United States increased by 13 to a total of 337 this week, data by Baker Hughes showed on Thursday. The total number of rigs drilling for both crude oil and natural gas increased by 13 to 430, as the number of natural …

European stocks finished higher on Thursday, supported by an improved investors’ sentiment following the release of positive economic data. The STOXX Europe 600 index finished higher by 0.67% at 432.49 points, on the back of a 2% rise by the technology sector. Earlier today, data showed that the manufacturing activity …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) declines across the board on Thursday, after data showed a rise in jobless claims in the United States, prompting concerns about the pace of economic recovery from the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the greenback’s performance against a basket of …

Natural gas inventories in the United States increased by 14 billion cubic feet (bcf) last week, according to data by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA weekly report showed on Thursday that natural gas supplies reached 1.764 trillion cubic feet, decreasing by 225 bcf compared with the same …

The business activity in the US manufacturing sector grew at its strongest pace since 1983 with the ISM Manufacturing PMI rising to 64.7 in March from 60.8. This reading came in better than the market expectation of 61.3.

The business activity in Canada’s manufacturing sector continued to expand at a robust pace in March with the IHS Markit Manufacturing PMI rising to 58.5 from 54.8 in February.

Planned job cuts in the US-based employers dropped to 30,603 in March from 34,531 in February, Challenger Gray & Christmas announced in its latest Job Cut Report on Thursday. This reading represented an 86% decline from the 222,288 job cuts announced in the same month last year when businesses were …