US stocks were flat to higher on Friday, following record-high closes for both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq the previous day. The three major averages are on track to end the week over 1% higher. Market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic amid hopes that new trade agreements—particularly with the EU—could be finalized before the August 1st deadline, potentially easing tariff rates. Adding to investor relief, President Trump appeared to soften his tone toward Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, helping to ease concerns about the Fed's independence. Health and materials were the top...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a new record on Friday, capping off a winning week for stocks. The blue-chip Dow gained 426.16 points, or 0.97%, to 44,296.51, a new all-time closing high and its third straight positive session. The S&P 500 added 0.35% to finish at 5,969.34 for its fifth winning day in a row. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.16% to 19,003.65. Gains were restricted by slides of more than 3% and 1% in Nvidia and Alphabet, respectively. The Dow ended the week about 2% higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each added about 1.7%. That marks a turn...
European stocks closed higher on Friday, as investors reviewed weak economic indicators from across the region which built expectations for central bank rate cuts. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed 1.18% higher, with all sectors except banks ending in positive territory. Health care and retail stocks led the gains, both up over 2%, while Europe's banking index slipped 2%. In the U.K., the pound fell to a six-month low against the U.S. dollar following U.K. retail sales data. The country's Office for National Statistics said that retail sales volumes lost 0.7%...
The S&P 500 and the Dow hovered at levels seen more than a week ago on Friday, as investors took comfort from data pointing to robust economic activity in the world's biggest economy. The domestically focused small-cap Russell 2000 index,outperformed large-cap indexes with a 1.3% rise. The index hit a more than one-week high and was set for weekly advances of nearly 4%. A measure of business activity raced to a 31-month high in November, boosted by hopes for lower interest rates and more business-friendly policies from President-elect Donald Trump's administration next year. At 11:29...
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was trading 0.6% higher at 8:45 a.m. in London, with nearly all sectors and major bourses in positive territory. Technology stocks led the gains, up 1.3%, while the European banking index fell 0.2%. The regional index snapped a four-session losing streak on Thursday and closed about 0.5% higher. Data released Friday showed Germany's economy grew a modest 0.1% in the third quarter from the previous three months — lower than a preliminary reading of 0.2% for the period. In the U.K., the pound fell to a six-month low against the U.S. dollar following data on U.K....
The Hang Seng fell 371 points, or 1.9%, to close at a nearly two-month low of 19,230 on Friday (11/22), marking a second session of losses amid weak corporate earnings and heightened concerns about China's recovery from potential U.S. tariffs with the return of Donald Trump to the presidency. For the week, the index disappointed by about 1%, its second straight decline, with all sectors suffering sharp losses, as markets in the mainland and tumbled about 3%. Technology stocks fell 2.6%, edging closer to a bear market, after e-commerce giant PDD Hlds. missed Q3 estimates. Meanwhile, search...