Dow adds over 1 percent at midday

New York markets were higher at midday on higher investor confidence. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.09 percent higher to 13,436.59, while the Nasdaq Composite had added 0.48 percent to 2,604.51 and the S&P 500 had gained 0.96 percent to 1,485.69.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.02 percent higher to 6,363.9 as European markets made gains on Thursday. Madrid’s IBEX gained 0.7 percent to 14,077.8, the Dax added 0.84 percent to 7,535.97, and the Paris CAC-40 was up 1.05 percent to 5,565.97. In London, however, the markets were mixed. While the FTSE 100 added 0.91 percent to 6,363.9, the FTSE 250 was down 0.42 percent to 11,172.4.

Most equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region were higher on Thursday. The big exception outside of Tokyo, which saw mixed results, was Taiwan’s Taiex index. The Taiex was 1.01 percent lower to 8,927.42. In Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries added 0.14 percent to 6,244.6 and the S&P/ASX200 was up 0.17 percent to 6,230.6. The Straits Times index gained 0.15 percent to 3,504.4. India’s Sensex was 0.7 percent higher to 15,614.44, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng set its second record high in a row as it added 0.93 percent to 24,537.03. In South Korea, meanwhile, the Kospi index was up 1.9 percent to 1,848.02 while in China the Shanghai Composite gained 1.95 percent to 5,273.59. Tokyo’s markets were mixed on the session, with the Nikkei 225 gained 0.15 percent to 15,821.19, the Topix index dropped 0.35 percent to 1,522.87 and the Mothers market was down 3.03 percent to 628.83.

After rising to a new record high of $80.20 per barrel, West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices were slightly lower in early afternoon trade in New York. Precious metals prices were lower but copper saw gains on strikes at mines in Mexico. Wheat and corn prices dropped, but soybeans were higher.

The yen declined as equities markets saw gains.

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