A roundup of trading on major world markets:
NEW YORK – The Dow and the S&P 500 have climbed to fresh record highs after a blockbuster US labour report showed widespread jobs growth in November.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 58.69 points (0.33 per cent) at 17,958.79 on Friday, topping its Wednesday mark by about 46 points.
The broad-market S&P 500 index added 3.32 (0.16 per cent) at 2,075.24, also a record, and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 11.32 (0.24 per cent) to 4,780.76.
The Dow capped the first week of December closing just shy of the 18,000 mark after the Labor Department reported the economy added a much stronger-than-expected 321,000 jobs in November, the best jobs growth in nearly three years.
Upward revisions of the prior two months added a combined 44,000 jobs and brought the yearly average to 241,000 a month.
LONDON – European stock markets rebounded strongly following heavy losses the previous day, buoyed by a surge in US jobs underlining a firm recovery in the world’s biggest economy.
Frankfurt’s DAX 30 soared 2.25 per cent to a new closing record of 10,087.12 points, and the CAC 40 in Paris climbed 2.25 per cent to 4,419.48 points compared with Thursday’s close.
London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.99 per cent to end the week at 6,742.84 points.
The euro fell to $US1.2305 compared with $US1.2380 late in New York on Thursday.
HONG KONG – Asian markets mostly rose, with the US dollar again breaking 120 yen while the euro held on to gains after the European Central Bank shied away from fresh stimulus measures.
Tokyo rose 0.19 per cent, or 33.24 points, extending their winning streak for a sixth straight day to end at a new seven-year high of 17,920.45.
Shanghai climbed 1.32 per cent, or 38.19 points, to 2,937.65 and Hong Kong added 0.71 per cent, or 170.08 points, to 24,002.64, as investors pumped in vast amounts of cash in hope of fresh economy-boosting measures from China.
Seoul closed flat, edging up 0.01 points to 1,986.62.
Sydney, however, closed 0.62 per cent lower, dipping 33.5 points to 5,335.30 with energy firms hit by weak oil prices.
WELLINGTON – The NZX 50 Index edged back 0.773 points, or 0.01 per cent, to 5521.909.
