US markets end higher on Friday

22 Aug 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended higher on Friday following the release of a report from IHS Markit showing US business activity expanded at the fastest pace in over a year in the month of August. The IHS Markit flash composite index of purchasing managers at manufacturers and service providers climbed to an eighteen-month high of 54.7 in August from 50.3 in July. The increase by the index came as the IHS Markit reading on manufacturing activity reached a nineteen-month high, while the reading on service sector activity indicated growth for the first time since January. Besides, housing stocks showed a strong move to the upside following the existing home sales data, driving the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index up by 1.6 percent.

Adding to the positive sentiment, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released a report showing existing home sales in the US continued to soar in the month of July. NAR said existing home sales skyrocketed by a record 24.7 percent to an annual rate of 5.86 million in July after spiking by 20.2 percent to a revised rate of 4.70 million in June. Street had expected existing home sales to jump by 14.0 percent to an annual rate of 5.38 million from the 4.72 million originally reported for the previous month.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 190.60 points or 0.69 percent to 27,930.33, Nasdaq gained 46.85 points or 0.42 percent 11,311.80 and S&P 500 was up by 11.65 points or 0.34 percent to 3,397.16.

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