Global Markets Report - 18 October
ASX set to open lower, after US stocks ended mixed with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising to a new record.
Australia
Australian shares are set to open lower, after US stocks ended mixed with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising to a new record.
ASX futures were down 0.32% or 27 points as of 8:00am on Friday, suggesting a lower open.
A post-earnings rally by Travelers pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average toward another record close. The insurer rose 9% after reporting a quarterly profit of $1.26 billion, roughly three times what it earned a year earlier.
The Dow industrials gained 0.4%, its 39th record of the year. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced less than 0.1%.
In commodity markets, Brent crude oil was up 0.5% to US$74.57 a barrel, while gold was up 0.7% to US$2,692.79.
The Australian dollar was at 66.95 US cents, up from its previous close of 66.65.
Asia
Chinese shares closed lower. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.0% to 3,169.38, and the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 0.6% to 1,831.88.
Hong Kong shares ended lower. The benchmark Hang Seng Index slipped 1.0% to 20,079.10.
Japanese shares closed lower. The Nikkei Stock Average dropped 0.7% to 38,911.19.
India shares ended lower. The BSE SENSEX fell 0.6% to 81,006.61.
Europe
Stocks in the U.K. finished higher. The FTSE 100 Index added 0.7% to 8,385.13.
In Europe, shares closed higher. Germany's DAX rose 0.8% to 19,583.39, and France's CAC 40 lifted 1.2% to 7,583.73.
North America
U.S. stocks ended mixed. The DJIA increased 0.4% to 43,239.05, the S&P 500 was flat at 5,841.47, and the Nasdaq was unchanged at 18,373.61.
Among S&P 500 companies, the top three gainers were Snap-on Inc, surging 10.16%, The Travelers Companies Inc jumped 8.81%, and Blackstone Inc lifted 6.31%.
The biggest decliners were Molina Healthcare Inc which dropped 12.55%, Elevance Health Inc fell 10.59%, and Centene Corp lost 9.09%.