A roundup of trading on major world markets:
NEW YORK – US stocks drifted to a mixed close on Friday in lacklustre trade as the broad market scored a modest gain.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1.27 points (0.01 per cent) to 12,982.42 in closing trade on Friday.
The broad-market S&P 500 gained 2.28 (0.17 per cent) to 1,365.74, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite added 6.77 (0.23 per cent) to 2,963.75.
LONDON – European stocks closed mostly firmer Friday after strong gains across Asia, while the euro hit a two-month dollar high after powerhouse Germany reported a dramatic improvement in its public finances.
In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 index slipped a marginal 0.05 per cent to 5,935.13 points, while in Frankfurt the DAX 30 rose 0.81 per cent to 6,864.43 points and in Paris the CAC 40 added 0.57 per cent at 3,467.03 points.
Elsewhere in Europe, Milan rose 1.07 per cent, Lisbon 1.12 per cent, Brussels 0.40 per cent and Madrid was unchanged.
The European single currency stood at $1.3465, hitting levels last seen in early December and compared with $1.3369 in New York late Thursday.
HONG KONG – Asian shares rose strongly on Friday, pushed higher by changes in Chinese bank rules and gains on Wall Street.
Chinese shares gained more than one per cent, led by banking and property stocks with the Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, closing up 1.25 per cent, or 30.08 points, at 2,439.63 on heavy turnover.
China’s central bank cut the reserve requirement ratio for commercial banks by 50 basis points from Friday to ease restrictions on lending and give the domestic economy a boost.
Hong Kong was up 0.12 per cent, with the Hang Seng index up 25.87 points to 21,406.86 on turnover of HK$61.7 billion ($7.96 billion).
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.54 per cent or 51.81 points at 9,647.38 on late bargain-hunting, and the Topix index of all first-section issues gained 0.60 per cent or 4.94 points to 834.29.
WELLINGTON – The NZX 50 Index fell 3.39 points on Friday, or 0.1 per cent, to 3319.76.
