US markets closed mostly lower on disappointing data

20 Dec 2013 Evaluate

The US markets closed mostly lower on Thursday, on disappointing housing, manufacturing and employment reports. US states last week processed the most applications for unemployment benefits since late March, but the spike probably reflects typical holiday-season ups and downs instead of any abrupt change in a labor market that’s shown clear improvement lately. The Labor Department stated that initial claims climbed by 10,000 to 379,000 in the week ended December 14. The weekly claims report has seesawed sharply since mid-November, shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday. The average of new claims over the past month, meanwhile, rose by 13,250 to 343,250 marking the highest level in five weeks. Besides, sales of existing homes in November fell to the slowest pace in almost a year, hit by higher mortgage rates and low inventory. The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes slumped 4.3% in November, a third month of declines, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.9 million. The sales pace in November was down 1.2% from the year-earlier period, the first annual drop in more than two years.

Moreover, manufacturing in the Philadelphia region rebounded only slightly in December after falling to its lowest reading in seven months in November. The Philadelphia Fed’s manufacturing index inched up to 7 in December from 6.5 in November. Readings on new-orders shipments and employment picked up a bit in December. The index has been in positive territory for seven-straight months. However, the US appears poised for faster growth in early 2014, according to an index measuring the nation’s economic health. The leading economic index increased by 0.8% last month - the fifth-straight gain - spearheaded by improvements in hiring and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet expanded to a record $4 trillion in the week ended December 18. The Fed balance sheet has been growing as the central bank has been buying $85 billion a month in Treasuries and mortgage related assets since last January. This is the third program of asset purchases, otherwise known as quantitative easing, that has expanded the Fed’s balance sheet from $891 billion in 2007.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 11.11 points or 0.07 percent to 16,179.08, the S&P 500 was down 1.05 points or 0.06 percent to 1,809.60, while Nasdaq lost 11.92 points or 0.29 percent to 4,058.14.

Indian ADRs closed mostly in red on Thursday; HDFC Bank was down 1.42%, ICICI Bank was down 1.30% and Dr. Reddy’s Lab was down 0.49%. On the other hand, Infosys was up 0.35% and Wipro was up by 0.18%.  

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