Market Update

Japanese shares closed higher on Monday, following US futures gains in Asian trade, thanks to hopes of reaching an agreement on a US program to mitigate the economic damage from the Corona virus before the presidential elections. The benchmark Nikkei index rose 1.11% at the close to 23,671.13 points, while …

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) finished the week with marginal gains, supported by an improvement in investors’ sentiment after data showed an increase in retail sales in the United States. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 112.11 points, or 0.39%, to close at 28,606.31, rising by about 0.1% for …

Oil prices declined on Friday, amid concerns about the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global demand for energy. However, losses were marginal due to support from the commitment expressed by the OPEC+ alliance to output curbs. Brent crude futures for December delivery plunged by …

The United States Treasury yields increased on Friday after data showed an increase in retail sales, improving the outlook for economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Return on the 10-year Treasury bonds increased by 0.7 basis point to 0.741%. The yield on 30-year bonds rose by 1.6 …

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 81.2 in October, up from 80.4 in September, data showed on Friday. The Expectations Index reached 78.8, up from 75.6 last month.

Gold prices declined on Friday, extending their weekly losses, which are the first in three weeks. The yellow metal’s decline came mostly due to the rise in the US Dollar (USD). Gold futures for December delivery closed today lower by $2.50, or 0.1%, and settled at $1,906.40 per ounce. For …

Factory production in the United States declined in September, against market expectations. Manufacturing production decreased by 0.3% last month, according to data by the US Federal Reserve released on Friday. August’s reading was revised to indicate that factory production increased by 1.2% not just 1% as initially estimated.

European stocks finished Friday higher, recovering some of its recent losses due to concerns about the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stoxx Europe 600 index closed higher by 1.26%, registering its highest daily gains in three weeks, at 367.48 points. The UK’s FTSE100 also rose by 1.49%, while …

Business inventories in the United States increased during August for the second consecutive month, data showed on Friday. Business inventories went up by 0.3% in August after rising by 0.1% in July. Meanwhile, retail inventories increased by 0.4%.

France and the Netherlands are reportedly proposing new rules by the European Union (EU) to regulate tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon, CNBC reported. “Our common ambition is to design a framework that will be efficient enough to address the economic footprint of such actors on the European …