US, Europe equities in declines on day

European equities markets saw yet another day of declines on Friday. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.34 percent to 1,598.1. In Paris, the CAC-40 dropped 0.11 percent to 6,023.25, while the Dax was down 0.19 percent to 7,949.63 and the IBEX was 0.66 percent lower to 14,784.9. Utilities, chems companies, and the pharmaceuticals sectors all saw advances, while the construction sector was mixed. Steel, the telecommunications sector and chip makers were lower on the session. In London, meanwhile, the FTSE 100 was 0.43 percent lower to 6,567.4, while the FTSE 250 dropped 0.24 percent to 11,589.1. The financial services sector and retailers saw gains, while the utilities sector was mixed. Insurers saw declines, while building materials providers and pubs operators were lower.

The New York markets were much lower by mid-session as investors were concerned about interest rates and the price of oil. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped 1.04 percent to 13,405.13, while the Nasdaq Composite was 1.11 percent lower to 2,587.99 and the S&P 500 fell 1.13 percent to 1,505.05. Computer makers and the electronics sector saw gains, as did motorcycle manufacturers and the truck rental industry. Carmakers were lower on strike worries and the passage of a new energy bill. Software companies and the fast-food sector both also saw declines.

There were both gainers and losers in the Asia-Pacific region on the session. Gains came in Australia, where the Sydney Ordinaries added 0.12 percent to 6,409.3, and in Hong Kong with the Hang Seng index 0.21 percent higher to 21,999.91. Decliners included India’s Sensex, which dropped 0.22 percent to 14,467.36. The Straits Times index in Singapore was 5.3 percent lower to 3,615.38. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.3 percent to 18,188.63, while the Topix index was down 0.6 percent to 1,777.99. On the other hand, the Mothers market of small and mid-caps was 0.3 percent higher to 945.14. The Jasdaq was up by the same percentage to 83.19. The real estate sector and banks saw declines, while there were gains in the semiconductors sector.

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