Equities
China’s central bank announced a large liquidity injection of $57.9 billion this week, its largest on record, sending the Shanghai Composite up 2.6% to 2056 and the Hang Seng up 1.1% to 20762. The positive news impacted the region as well, as the Nikkei rose .5% to 8950, the Kospi gained .4% to 1989, and the ASX 200 advanced .5% to 4384.
European markets rebounded modestly, encouraged by the Chinese liquidity boost. The CAC40 bounced .7% to 3439, while the DAX and FTSE ticked up .2%. Spain announced it would cut spending to address budget shortfalls in the coming year, and the prime minister said he would seek a bailout if bond yields remain high.
Tech shares led US stocks higher, as the Nasdaq rallied 1.4% to 3137. The Dow added 72 points to 13486, and the S&P 500 climbed 1% to 1447.
GE gained 2.9% after lifting its growth forecast to 10%. Discover Financial Services jumped 7.3% after reporting earnings which beat estimates.
Currencies
Commodity currencies rallied, as hopes for Chinese stimulus lifted commodity prices. The Australian Dollar climbed .7% to 1.0443, and the Canadian Dollar rose .4% to .9808. The Euro edged up .3% to 1.2913, the Pound gained .4% to 1.6234, and the Yen ticked up .2% to 77.62.
Economic Outlook
Durable goods orders plunged 13.2%, vastly exceeding forecasts for a 4.7% drop. Final GDP growth was reported at 1.3%, weaker than the 1.7% forecast. Pending home sales slumped 2.6% last month, reversing last month’s 2.6% gain.
China’s central bank announced a large liquidity injection of $57.9 billion this week, its largest on record, sending the Shanghai Composite up 2.6% to 2056 and the Hang Seng up 1.1% to 20762. The positive news impacted the region as well, as the Nikkei rose .5% to 8950, the Kospi gained .4% to 1989, and the ASX 200 advanced .5% to 4384.
European markets rebounded modestly, encouraged by the Chinese liquidity boost. The CAC40 bounced .7% to 3439, while the DAX and FTSE ticked up .2%. Spain announced it would cut spending to address budget shortfalls in the coming year, and the prime minister said he would seek a bailout if bond yields remain high.
Tech shares led US stocks higher, as the Nasdaq rallied 1.4% to 3137. The Dow added 72 points to 13486, and the S&P 500 climbed 1% to 1447.
GE gained 2.9% after lifting its growth forecast to 10%. Discover Financial Services jumped 7.3% after reporting earnings which beat estimates.
Currencies
Commodity currencies rallied, as hopes for Chinese stimulus lifted commodity prices. The Australian Dollar climbed .7% to 1.0443, and the Canadian Dollar rose .4% to .9808. The Euro edged up .3% to 1.2913, the Pound gained .4% to 1.6234, and the Yen ticked up .2% to 77.62.
Economic Outlook
Durable goods orders plunged 13.2%, vastly exceeding forecasts for a 4.7% drop. Final GDP growth was reported at 1.3%, weaker than the 1.7% forecast. Pending home sales slumped 2.6% last month, reversing last month’s 2.6% gain.