Global Markets Report - 20 August
ASX set to open higher, after US stocks kept riding their hot streak Monday.
Australia
Australian shares are set to open higher, after US stocks rose as the volatility seen earlier this month faded.
ASX futures were up 0.45% or 36 points as of 8:00am on Tuesday, suggesting a higher open.
US stocks kept riding their hot streak Monday, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite logging their eighth straight day of gains.
Fueled by a broad rally across all of its sectors, the S&P 500 rose 1%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 1.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6% to notch its fifth straight day of gains.
The S&P 500 climbed 1.6% Thursday, rising for a sixth consecutive session. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 2.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.4%, or about 550 points.
In commodity markets, Brent crude oil was down 2.4% to US$77.80 a barrel, while gold was flat at US$2,503.72.
The Australian dollar was at 67.31 US cents, up from its previous close of 66.70.
Asia
Chinese shares closed mixed. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rising 0.5% to 2,893.67, and the Shenzhen Composite Index dropped 0.1% to 1,547.45.
Hong Kong shares ended higher. The benchmark Hang Seng Index rising 0.8% to 17,569.57.
Japanese shares closed lower. The Nikkei Stock Average fell 1.8% to 37,388.62.
India shares ended flat. The BSE SENSEX finished at 80,424.68.
Europe
Stocks in the U.K. rose. The FTSE 100 Index added 0.5% to 8,356.94.
In Europe, shares closed higher, with Germany's DAX up 0.5% to 18,421.69, and France's CAC 40 rising 0.7% to 7,502.01.
North America
U.S. stocks ended higher. The DJIA added 0.6%, to 40,896.53, the S&P 500 rose 1.0% to 5,608.25, and the Nasdaq gained 1.4% to 17,876.77.
Among S&P 500 companies, the top three gainers were EQT Corp, surging 4.9%, Advanced Micro Devices Inc jumped 4.5%, and Darden Restaurants Inc lifted 4.4%.
The biggest decliners were HP Inc which dropped 3.7%, Starbucks Corp fell 2.7%, and Domino's Pizza Inc lost 2.3%.