· Major U.S. stock indexes registered record closing highs on Thursday as optimism about a U.S.-China trade deal firmed and as Apple and other market heavyweights posted strong gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 211.81 points, or 0.74%, to 28,956.9, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 21.65 points, or 0.67%, to 3,274.7 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 74.18 points, or 0.81%, to9,203.43.
Investors have been closely monitoring tensions between the United States and Iran after the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general last week and Iran’s retaliatory measures this week.
· Markets in Asia continued to be in positive territory on Friday following the easing of U.S.-Iran tensions, and after U.S. stocks shot to new highs overnight.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.41%, while the Topix was up 0.39%.
On the earnings front, Japan’s Familymart, the country’s second-largest convenience store chain, is set to report third quarter results on Friday. A day before, retail giant Fast Retailing cut its full-year outlook after worse-than-expected quarterly results, which it pinned on protests in Hong Kong and a boycott by South Korean consumers which hit sales at its Uniqlo retail stores.
Over in South Korea, the Kospi climbed to nearly 0.47%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.69% in early trade. Gold miners, however, sold off. Losses were led by Evolution Mining, which fell as much as 5% in early trade. Newcrest Mining was down 1.47%, while Kingsgate Consolidated was off by 2.22%.
The rally in gold prices had pulled back following the declining risk of a wider war in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Australia’s retail sales data for November is set to be released on Friday.
Reference: CNBC, Reuters
Thai
Eng