Global markets end week with gains

Asia-Pacific region markets were up to end the week on Friday. Australia’s markets saw gains after seven consecutive days of declines. The Sydney Ordinaries added 1.03 percent to 6,309.4 while the S&P/ASX200 was up 1.13 percent to 6,247. In Taiwan, the Taiex was 1.07 percent higher to 7,941.44. The Shanghai Composite gained 1.15 percent to 5,101.78 while the Straits Times index was up 1.21 percent to 3,398.1 in Singapore.

South Korea’s Kospi index added 1.84 percent to 1,878.32 while the Hang Seng gained 2.26 percent to 27,626.92 in Hong Kong. The Sensex was closed in observance of Bakri Eid, a Muslim and Druze holiday. Meanwhile, Tokyo’s markets also saw gains. The Nikkei 225 was up 1.5 percent to 15,257 and the Topix index added 0.8 percent to 1,469.2 while the Mothers market jumped 2.09 percent to 782.13.

Markets in Europe were higher as well. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 1.39 percent higher to 1,507.22. In Madrid the IBEX added 0.98 percent to 15,289.3 while the Paris CAC-40 was up 1.66 percent to 5,602.77 and the Dax gained 1.7 percent to 8,002.67. In London, meanwhile, the FTSE 100 was up 1.39 percent and the FTSE 250 added 1.29 percent to 10,531.6.

At early afternoon in New York the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.24 percent higher to 13,409.92 while the Nasdaq Composite had added 1.34 percent to 2,676.18 and the S&P 500 was up 1.21 percent to 1,477.83.

Crude oil and metals prices were higher on the session, while grains prices were mixed on varying rain predictions.

In forex markets, sterling and the yen both were weaker.

Discuss this in the Finance Markets forums

Story link: Global markets end week with gains