Equities markets in mixed results

Equities in Asia and the Pacific were mixed on Friday. The Sydney Ordinaries dropped 0.04 percent to 5,933.1, while in India the Sensex fell 0.17 percent to 13,285.93. On the other hand, in Hong Kong the Hang Seng gained 0.01 percent to 19,692.64 and the Straits Times index added 0.05 percent to 3,205.82. In Tokyo, The Nikkei 225 closed 0.4 percent higher to 17,480.61, while the Topix index ended 0.6 percent higher to 1,741.94. With the yen remaining week, exporters were generally higher. Banks and the oil sector also saw gains.

European markets were mostly higher on the session. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 added 0.51 percent to 1,523.34. Elsewhere on the continent, the Xetra Dax gained 0.61 percent to 6,899.06, while in Paris the CAC-40 was 0.65 percent higher, to 5,634.75. The utilities sector was in focus in Europe as several bids possibilities affected share prices.

The London markets were mixed, with the FTSE 100 was up 0.34 percent to 6,339.4 but the FTSE 250 was 0.05 percent lower to 11,702. Miners and the oil sector saw gains. Oil was higher on both rising prices for crude oil and on the seizure of 15 British sailors in Iraqi waters by military forces from Iran. The pharmaceutical sector saw declines on the session.

By midday in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial average had added 0.24 percent to 12,491.59, while the Nasdaq Composite was up just 0.03 percent to 2,452.39 and the S&P 500 was 0.21 percent higher to 1,437.57. Carmakers were higher on the session so far, while the pharmaceuticals and telecommunications sectors were mixed. There was good and not-so-good news from the housing sector. The National Association of Realtors said that home sales in the Northeast US were 3.9 percent higher in February; on the other hand, the median price for a home fell year-on-year for the seventh month in a row amid rising inventories.

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