Global stock markets wavered Friday in subdued trading with Wall Street only open for a half session due to the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
European equities posted modest gains, with London edging into positive territory after having spent most of the day in the red in the face of the stronger pound and profit-taking.
“The usual adage is when the United States sneezes the world catches a cold –- in the latest case, it appears when the US is on holiday, global markets hit the snooze button,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
Wall Street was shut Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and closed early on Friday.
The Dow ended 0.3 percent higher, while the S&P 500 was up 0.1 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq ticked down 0.1 percent.
Among individual companies, Nvidia shares dropped 1.9 percent on a news report that it was delaying the launch of a new AI chip for China.
While trading is traditionally light, “the Friday after Thanksgiving also means it is Black Friday, which is why the business media are going to be paying a lot of attention to the retail industry,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.
American shoppers flock to stores for bargains during the annual pre-Christmas “Black Friday” sales event, followed by the newer “Cyber Monday.”
Consumers are expected to be increasingly price-conscious this year, still jaded by stubborn inflation and lingering effects from the upheaval of the pandemic.
Asian traders hoped for fresh moves to help China’s troubled property sector after officials called on banks to provide support.
Equities have rallied in recent weeks on optimism the Federal Reserve will not hike interest rates again this cycle with inflation slowing and the economy showing signs of easing without falling into recession.
And while minutes from the bank’s most recent policy meeting echoed warnings from decision-makers that borrowing costs will likely stay elevated for some time, there is hope that they will cut in 2024.
Hong Kong led the losses in Asia trading, having risen over the week, while Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok were also down.
Tokyo jumped as dealers caught up with Thursday’s Asian advance, while the yen rose against the dollar as Japanese inflation jumped again, adding to bets the central bank will shift from its ultra-loose monetary policy.
Oil prices retreated Friday, extending a two-day fall that came in the wake of OPEC’s decision to put back a crucial meeting by four days owing to a row over output quotas.
Saudi Arabia and Russia earlier this year announced cuts of a million barrels a day through to 2024 to support prices, and there had been expectations Riyadh was planning to extend that or even cut further.
However, African countries are said to be pushing back, causing the standoff.
The reductions have come as prices continue to drop owing to increased non-OPEC supplies, a pick-up in US inventories and easing worries about the effects of the Israel-Hamas war.
Key figures around 1915 GMT
New York – DOW: UP 0.3 percent at 35,390.15 (close)
New York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 4,559.34 (close)
New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 14,250.85 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP less than 0.1 percent at 7,488.20 (close)
Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 7,292.80 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 16,029.49 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.3 percent at 4,372.10 (close)
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 33,625.53 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.0 percent at 17,559.42 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 3,040.97 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0946 from $1.0905 on Thursday
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.48 yen from 149.56 yen
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2610 from $1.2534
Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.77 pence from 87.00 pence
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 1.0 percent at $80.58 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.0 percent at $75.54 per barrel
