Another day of declines for equities markets

European equities markets were lower again on Friday, but there was one exception as the IBEX added 0.23 percent to 14,574 in Madrid. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 dropped 0.54 percent to 1,519.59. In Paris the CAC-40 was 0.55 percent lower to 5,643.96, while the Dax fell 0.76 percent to 7,451.68 in Frankfurt. The semiconductors sector was higher. Carmakers, the media and construction sectors, and retailers were all mixed. Tire manufacturers were lower.

London’s markets fell as well, but not as much as they did no Thursday. The FTSE 100 fell 0.58 percent to 6,215.2, while the FTSE 250 was down 0.44 percent to 10.984.5. Miners were the big losers of the day, but caterers, internet property searches and human resources all fell as well. Publishers, the chemicals sector, retailers, banks, power transmitters, and the aerospace sector all saw gains.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by more than 100 points in midday trade in New York, falling 0.96 percent to 13,344.56. At the same time the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 0.89 percent to 2,576.32 and the S&P 500 was 1.12 percent lower to 1,466.1. The oil sector was lower, as where drug makers. Shoe manufacturers, however, were up on good earnings news.

Asia-Pacific region equities markets were lower again, with some markets losing even more than they did on Thursday. Taiwan’s Taiex index dropped 4.22 percent to 9,162.28, its steepest decline in over a year. South Korea’s Kospi index also lost more than 4 percent, falling 4.09 percent to 1,883.22. The Sensex, one of the few markets to gain on Thursday, declined 3.43 percent to 15,234.57. In Australia, the S&P/ASX200 fell 2.81 percent to 6,082.9, while the Sydney Ordinaries dropped 2.76 percent to 6,127.3. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index also fell 2.76 percent to close at 22,570.41, while the Straits Times index was 2.42 percent lower to 3,592.68 in Singapore. Thursday’s other gainer, the Shanghai Composite, fell 0.03 percent to 4,345.36.

In Tokyo the Nikkei 225 closed 2.4 percent lower to 17,283.81, while the Topix index ended the session at 1,699.71, a drop of 2.2 percent. The Mother’s market of small and mid-caps was down 1.51 percent to 839.27. Exporters and domestic sectors both fell, with carmakers, shippers, camera manufacturers and game makers all dropping on the export side. Among domestically-focused sector, retailers and banks both fell on the day.

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