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Stocks extend gains after sell-off amid positive information, Fed's rate signals

International shares slightly extended gains on Friday, recovering further from their current big selloff and boosted by positive economic data, even as crude oil costs edged higher amidst supply issues from a. possible widening of the Middle East dispute.

A trio of Federal Reserve policymakers showed on Thursday. that they were more positive that inflation is cooling enough. to cut rates, and this - in addition to a bigger-than-expected fall. in U.S. jobless claims information - assisted to underpin the healing.

On Wall Street, the three primary indexes were advancing in. choppy trading led by gains in technology, energy, healthcare,. financials and property stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.11% to. 39,489.37, the S&P 500 acquired 0.31% to 5,335.80 and the. Nasdaq Composite got 0.24% to 16,699.52.

The MSCI All Country stock index, was up. 0.55% to 786.10 points, recovering much of the ground lost. during the week. We have actually had some excellent news in regards to some excellent incomes. reports and the working with data yesterday was pretty strong too,. said Tiffany Wade, senior portfolio supervisor at Columbia. Threadneedle Investments. But after a quite strong week. relative to the last few weeks individuals are a bit nervous. to keep on a lots of risk going into the weekend and a fresh. week, she added.

Oil costs were headed for weekly gains as worries of. a broadening Middle East conflict continued, with Brent. crude futures up 0.77% at $79.78 a barrel while U.S. West Texas. Intermediate crude futures included 1% to $76.98.

In Europe, the STOXX index of 600 companies was up. 0.57%, with the loss for the week all but eliminated. In an indication of. calmer nerves, the VIX index, likewise called Wall Street's. ' fear gauge', toppled nearly 10%, a far cry from its record. one-day spike on Monday.

Divergent central bank rates of interest relocations, a repricing of. recession probability in the United States, thinner liquidity in. August accentuating volatility and Middle East stress had all. integrated a week ago to set off the sharp sell-off in stocks. after their months-long winning streak.

Some experts urged care regardless of this week's strong. recovery. We are still in the month of August, so we can still. have some volatility, said Marie de Leyssac, portfolio manager. at Edmond de Rothschild Property Management.

NIKKEI RECOVERS

Japan's Nikkei stocks benchmark closed 0.56% greater,. removing most of the losses since a 12.4% crash on Monday. It. ended up the week down nearly 2.5%. The yen also. weakened against the dollar, last trading at 146.61 per dollar.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. climbed up 1.63%, more than reversing the drop from. Thursday. For the week, it has actually reversed earlier losses down. a little down 0.12%.

The U.S. dollar index, which determines the greenback. against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro,. was off a one-week high versus other major currencies. It fell. 0.12% at 103.16, with the euro up 0.03% at $1.0915.

Bond yields have climbed today with safe-havens in less. need, however began alleviating as confidence went back to markets. The. yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell 5.3 basis. points to 3.944%.

Gold rates were a touch firmer, with area gold included. 0.26% to $2,433.11 an ounce. U.S. gold futures acquired. 0.21% to $2,427.40 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)