US markets gain; Dow Jones snap 6-session losing streak

23 Aug 2013 Evaluate

The US markets edged higher on Thursday, with Dow Jones Industrial Average snapping a six-session losing streak, it’s longest since July 2012, getting a slight boost after Nasdaq-listed stocks resumed trading from a more than three-hour halt due to technical trouble. There were some encouraging report on the economic front; the US continues to expand at a moderate if uneven pace with a chance that growth might speed up later in the year. The leading economic index (LEI) that measures the nation’s economic health rose 0.6% in July to 96.0 - the highest level in five years - after no change in June. The LEI is a weighted gauge of 10 indicators designed to signal business-cycle peaks and valleys. Eight of the 10 components expanded in July, led by the spread on interest rates, availability of credit, stock prices and permits to build new homes. The coincident index, which measures current conditions, edged up 0.2% in July. Besides, activity in the US factory sector rose to five-month high as employment and new orders gathered steam, according to an early reading of August activity released. The flash purchasing managers’ index compiled by data provider Markit rose to 53.9 in August from a final July reading of 53.7. The flash-August PMI reading, which is based on about 85% of the usual number of monthly replies, is the highest reading since March. A reading above 50 mark indicates expansion.

Meanwhile, the number of people who applied last week for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in a month but remained near a post-recession low, the US government stated. The Labor Department reported that initial jobless claims jumped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 336,000 in the week ended August 17. Yet the monthly average, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, fell by 2,250 to 330,500 and touched the lowest level since November 2007 - a month before the Great Recession started. The four-week average has fallen six straight weeks. Separately, Home prices climbed a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in June, and increased 7.7% from the same period in the prior year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported. The data is compiled using only mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. For the second quarter, home prices were up 7.2% from the year-earlier period, the fastest growth since 2006.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 66.19 points or 0.44 percent to 14,963.70, the S&P 500 was up 14.16 points or 0.86 percent to 1,656.96, while the Nasdaq gained 38.92 points or 1.08 percent to 3,638.71.

Indian ADRs closed in green on Thursday; Dr. Reddy’s Lab was up 0.81%, ICICI Bank was up 0.68%, Tata Motors was up 0.61%, Infosys was up 0.47% and HDFC Bank was up 0.25%.

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