US markets edge higher on improvement on the jobs front

02 Mar 2012 Evaluate

The US market closed higher on Thursday, after data showed improvement on the jobs front. The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits last week fell 2,000 to 351,000, the lowest since March 2008. The Labor Department stated that the four-week average dropped 5,500 to 354,000. Early in the session, the major indexes managed to stay up after a gauge of manufacturing from the Institute for Supply Management showed expansion slowing in February. Its manufacturing index fell to 52.4% last month from 54.1% in January. However, as consumer confidence rose to its highest level in a year, shoppers also showed their brighter sentiment through their wallets and delivered retailers’ better-than-expected February sales. Separately, government data showed spending climbed 0.2% as incomes rose 0.3% in January, both less than expected. Americans dipped into their savings slightly to keep buying goods in January as incomes continued to advance, though consumer spending remained flat for the third month in a row. Another report from the government had construction spending slipping 0.1% in January, marking the first monthly drop since July.

In Europe, the Greek parliament approved pension and health reforms aimed at cutting costs by €3.2 billion with 213 votes in favour and 58 against. Finally, euro-area finance ministers authorized the region’s bailout fund to raise money for Greece’s bond exchange, the first step in releasing funds from a 130 billion-euro ($173 billion) rescue package. Greece has passed all required legislation and the ministers note with satisfaction the progress achieved, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker stated in a statement after chairing a meeting of the finance chiefs in Brussels. They gave the go-ahead to the European Financial Stability Facility to issue bonds to finance their role in the debt swap. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed higher by 28.23 points, or 0.22 percent, at 12,980.30. The S&P 500 gained 8.41 points, or 0.62 percent, at 1,374.09, while the Nasdaq was up by 22.08 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,988.97.

Indian ADRs closed mixed on Thursday, Dr. Reddy’s Lab was up 0.81%, Tata Motors was up 0.45%, Infosys Technologies was up 0.20% and Tata Communication was up 0.17%. On the flip side, HDFC Bank was down 0.02%. 

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