Project Description
EQUITY MARKETS
US
S&P500 +0.69%(2,367.34); NASDAQ +0.12% (5,845.31); DJIA +0.96% (20,821.76)
This week’s reports:
- February’s Markit Manufacturing PMI (prelim.) fell to 54.3 from January’s 55. Markit PMI Composite (prelim.) fell to 54.3 from January’s 55.8. Markit Services PMI (prelim.) fell to 53.9 from January’s 55.6.
- February’s Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 96.3 from January’s 95.7.
- January’s New Home Sales rose to an annual pace of 0.555M from December’s pace of 0.535M. Existing Home Sales rose to an annual pace of 5.69M from December’s pace of 5.51M.
- Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending February 17th rose by 6K to 244K. Continuing Jobless Claims for the week ending February 10th fell by 17K to 2,060K.
- US equities advanced amid gains in utilities and phone stocks and a last-minute surge that saw the Dow Jones adding 77 points in the final hour of trading.
- Equities rallied in the last half-hour of trading Friday to recover losses from earlier in the session, as investors set their sights on U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech before Congress next week.