A roundup of trading on major world markets:
NEW YORK – US stocks closed lower on Friday with traders lacking any kind of news to spark enthusiasm for buying.
All the market energy seemed to go into driving smallish Nasdaq newcomer Yelp to a first day gain of over 60 per cent, while blue chips languished and other tech stocks dropped on profit-taking.
At the closing bell on Friday the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 3.94 points (0.03 per cent) to 12,976.36.
The broad-based S&P 500 lost 4.23 (0.31 per cent) to 1,369.86, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 12.78 points (0.43 per cent) to 2,976.19.
LONDON – European stock markets finished the week on a mixed note while the euro fell following an EU summit on the Greek debt crisis, new rules to control eurozone budgets and massive central bank funding for banks.
London’s FTSE 100 index of leading shares dipped 0.34 per cent to 5,911.13 points on Friday, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 was off 0.29 per cent at 6,921.37 points and the Paris CAC 40 edged 0.04 per cent higher at 3,501.17 points.
Milan’s FTSE Mib index gained 0.43 per cent and in Madrid the Ibex was 0.18 per cent higher at 8,563.4 points.
The euro retreated to $US1.3196 from $US1.3311 in New York late on Thursday.
HONG KONG – Asian markets’ upward trend since the start of the year has continued as optimism was boosted by a fresh set of upbeat US data and positive news from the eurozone.
Improving risk sentiment also supported the euro against the yen on Friday, but strong oil prices, which hit four-year highs in New York, tempered gains.
Tokyo added 0.72 per cent, or 69.66 points, to end at 9,777.03, Sydney rose 0.41 per cent, or 17.6 points, to 4,273.1 and Seoul added 0.22 per cent, or 4.38 points, to 2,034.63.
Hong Kong gained 0.81 per cent, or 174.30 points, to close at 21,562.26 and Shanghai jumped 1.43 per cent, or 34.58 points, to 2,460.69.
WELLINGTON – New Zealand shares rose, pushing the NZX 50 Index to a five-month high, with Port of Tauranga leading the advance as it enjoys business lost by strike-bound rival Ports of Auckland.
The NZX 50 rose 2.556 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 3289. Within the index, 42 stocks rose, four fell and three were unchanged.
