European shares have seen a slight rise following a calm trading day in Asia, where many markets were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Tokyo’s stock market ended the day up less than 0.1 percent, reaching a 34-year high earlier in the day. This was largely due to comments made by a Bank of Japan official, who said that the central bank would likely maintain its lax monetary policy even if it raises its benchmark rate above zero.
Meanwhile, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 remained relatively unchanged, and the FTSE 100 in Britain rose by 0.1 percent. The future for the S&P 500 gained less than 0.1 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained unchanged. In China, markets were closed, and Hong Kong had a half-day session, where the Hang Seng saw a decrease of 0.8 percent. China’s securities regulator also announced that it had punished individuals at one of the country’s largest brokerages for insider trading and other crimes.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 saw a slight increase of nearly 0.1 percent, while Thailand’s SET edged 0.2 percent higher. On Thursday, U.S. stocks also ticked higher on signs of a solid job market. The S&P 500 and the Dow set all-time highs with gains of 0.1 percent, while the Nasdaq composite rose by 0.2 percent. The positive news came from a report indicating fewer workers applying for unemployment benefits than expected, signaling a strong American economy.
In terms of commodities, benchmark U.S. crude saw an increase of 16 cents to $76.38 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, decreased by 4 cents to $81.59 a barrel. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar slightly increased against the Japanese yen, and the euro decreased against the dollar.
Overall, the global stock market seems to be experiencing a mixed session, with some markets seeing slight gains and others remaining relatively unchanged. The positive news about the American job market has been viewed favorably by investors, as it is seen as a sign that the economy is strong and will drive profits for companies. However, concerns still remain about wobbly financial markets in China, as the securities regulator continues to take measures to stabilize the situation. As the Lunar New Year holiday comes to an end and markets reopen next week, investors will be closely watching for any further developments.
