New York (AFP) – US markets advanced Friday while European counterparts marked time, in response to sharp losses in Asia at the end of a week which saw heightened fears of a bursting AI bubble. A blockbuster earnings report from chip bellwether Nvidia on Wednesday seemed to soothe concerns that vast investments in the artificial intelligence sector may have been overdone.
However, Nvidia shares closed one percent lower on Wall Street as warnings grew that the tech-led rally may have run its course across equities. This had seen several markets hit record highs and companies clock eye-watering capitalizations. Adding to unease were mixed US September jobs data released Thursday that raised the possibility that the Federal Reserve could decide against cutting interest rates in December. That unease spread to Asia, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai all ending the week down almost 2.5 percent at the close.
The clouds began to clear to a degree, however, as the Dow climbed 1.1 percent by end-Friday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.9 percent and the broader-based S&P 500 rose 1.0 percent. “This week’s sharp sell-off in US stocks and cryptocurrencies briefly stalled as Fed December rate cut expectations increased from 41 percent to 73 percent after New York Fed President John Williams suggested the Fed may cut rates again soon,” said Axel Rudolph, senior technical analyst at IG. But Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones added of the central bank: “The fact that we’re not going to get some key data does not make their job easier.”
This week, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said it would not publish full employment and consumer inflation reports for the month of October, while November figures will only be released after the next central bank interest rate meeting. This adds to the fog that Fed officials have to navigate as they mull their next rate decision.
Europe lacked direction as London ended just a sliver in the green. Paris was flat, although Ubisoft provided a glimmer of light, while Frankfurt lost 0.8 percent. French video game company Ubisoft resumed trading in Paris after stunning investors by postponing its results announcement without an explanation, triggering speculation in the video gaming world. The “Assassin’s Creed” maker said Friday the move was due to a simple “restatement” of its half-yearly results after new auditors found problems with the way it had accounted for a partnership.
The rush from risk assets saw digital currency bitcoin hit a seven-month low at $81,569.79 before pulling back to around $84,490 – extending a sell-off suffered since its record high above $126,200 last month. “The price action across markets has been prolific, and we’ve seen some truly impressive reversals in risk assets,” said analyst Chris Weston at broker Pepperstone. “Sentiment in so many markets remains highly challenged, and we’ve seen new evidence that managers are dumping their 2025 winners – raising expectations that the path of least resistance is for risk to trade lower in the near-term,” he added.
– Key figures at around 2105 GMT –
New York – Dow: UP 1.1 percent at 46,245.41 points (close)
New York – S&P 500: UP 1.0 percent at 6,602.99 (close)
New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 22,273.08 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 9,539.71 (close)
Paris – CAC 40: FLAT at 7,982.65 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.8 percent at 23,091.87 (close)
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.4 percent at 48,625.88 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.4 percent at 25,220.02 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 2.5 percent at 3,834.89 (close)
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 156.39 yen from 157.55 yen on Thursday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1519 from $1.1525
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3107 from $1.3070
Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.88 from 88.18 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.3 percent at $62.56 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.6 percent at $58.06 per barrel
© 2024 AFP
