News from AAP

International markets roundup

Print This Post A A A

A roundup of trading on major world markets:

NEW YORK – Wall Street stocks have fallen after a mixed US jobs report clouded prospects for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike amid China-induced global market turmoil.

The broad-based S&P 500 retreated 29.91 points (1.53 per cent) to 1,921.22 on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 272.38 (1.66 per cent) at 16,102.38 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 49.58 (1.05 per cent) to 4,683.92.

The Labor Department reported the economy added fewer jobs than forecast, 173,000, but the previous two months’ job gains were revised upward, pushing the unemployment rate down more than expected to 5.1 per cent.

LONDON – European stocks fell sharply, giving back gains made the previous day, as a mixed US jobs report left investors guessing whether US interest rates would rise later this month.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 2.44 per cent to close at 6,042.92 points.

The CAC 40 in Paris sank 2.81 per cent to 4,523.08 points, while Frankfurt’s DAX 30 lost 2.71 per cent to end at 10,038.04 points.

Market attention was on the US non-farm payroll data, with the information seen as possibly being key in the decision about whether to raise rates when the US Federal Reserve meets in less than two weeks.

HONG KONG – Japanese stocks led a broad Asian stock slide as the yen advanced ahead of a key US jobs report later in the day and after the European Central Bank indicated it could expand its stimulus.

With mainland Chinese markets closed for a second day on Friday, traders focused on macro issues, chiefly the US Federal Reserve’s plans for raising interest rates.

The Nikkei stumbled more than three per cent in the afternoon before ending down 2.15 per cent at a seven-month low.

Hong Kong gave up early gains to close 0.45 per cent lower in late trade after returning from a one-day holiday, while there were also losses of more than one per cent in Seoul and Singapore.

Sydney bounced back from early selling to end 0.25 per cent higher.

WELLINGTON – The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 26.4 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 5543.28.