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Tesla boosts US tech stocks

US technology stocks partially rebounded on Thursday, driven by strong quarterly results from electric vehicle maker Tesla. Tesla shares surge 22% on its earnings beat. Investors were also relieved as bond market yields declined following a recent rally. The yield on ten-year US government bonds fell to 4.21%. However, the Dow Jones Industrial, which is predominantly composed of blue-chip stocks, continued to edge lower. Overall, investor caution persisted due to uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections in less than two weeks. Most Asian stocks were rangebound on Friday. Japanese shares sank in anticipation of a hotly contested general election set to take place this weekend.

Date
Auteur
Alessandro Fezzi, LGT Research Content & Publications
Temps de lecture
5 minutes

Nasdaq
© Shutterstock

Broader Asian markets remained largely flat, influenced by mixed cues from Wall Street and ongoing uncertainties surrounding the US presidential election and interest rates. The benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.8% after an inflation report, while the Topix was down 0.9%, on pace for a fifth straight day of losses. Tokyo's inflation rate fell to 1.8% in October from 2.2% in September, with core inflation also declining to 1.8%, slightly above economists' forecasts. This data, released on Friday, precedes Japan's general election and the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting next week. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.3%, but the the small-cap Kosdaq reversed gains to drop 0.8%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rebounded 0.6% after falling in the previous session, while mainland China’s CSI 300 was up marginally.

Wall Street shows mixed performance

US equities displayed mixed performance on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 0.3% to close at 42,374.36 points, while the S&P 500 edged up 0.2% to 5809.90 points. The Nasdaq-100 outperformed, gaining 0.8% to finish at 18,415.49 points, buoyed by strong earnings from tech giants. Tesla shares soared nearly 22% on Tuesday, marking their largest single-day gain since May 2013 and leading the Nasdaq 100. The electric vehicle manufacturer reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings, despite slightly missing analysts' revenue forecasts. On the other side of the spectrum, IBM's stocks dropped by a good 6%, after the computer company had disappointed with low sales growth.

US jobless claims indicate labour market strength

Initial jobless claims in the US fell to 227,000 last week, down from 242,000 the previous week, according to data released by the Department of Labor. This figure was also below the forecasted 243,000, suggesting a stronger than expected labour market. The decrease indicates fewer layoffs and potentially higher consumer spending, contributing to economic growth.

Eurozone business activity remains sluggish

Euro-area business activity continued to contract in October, with the composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising marginally to 49.7 from 49.6 in September. Despite a slight improvement in manufacturing, the sector has been in contraction since late 2022, and the services sector also saw weakening new orders. The European Central Bank's recent rate cuts highlight concerns over the region's economic outlook, with further cuts anticipated in December to address the persistent sluggishness.

European stocks edged higher on Thursday as investors assessed a new batch of earnings. For example, Renault shares temporarily surged more than 6% and closing 4.7% higher after reporting a third-quarter revenue increase driven by high demand for its premium models.

UK business sentiment hits two-year low

British business sentiment in the manufacturing sector dropped to its lowest level in two years, with the Confederation of British Industry's index falling to minus 24% in the three months to October from minus 9% in the previous quarter. This decline comes ahead of finance minister Rachel Reeves' budget announcement next week, which is anticipated to address tax concerns and investment support. Despite easing cost pressures, firms remain cautious, hoping for clarity on future tax plans and productivity measures to foster long-term growth.

Corporate and economic calendar

Corporate news in focus: Quarterly figures from Aon, Colgate-Palmolive, Mercedes Benz Group, Safran, Sanofi, and Sika.

Economic data in focus: German ifo Business Climate Index (10:00), Canadian retail sales (14:30), US durable goods orders (14:30), University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (16:00).
 

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Publisher: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd., Glärnischstrasse 36, CH-8027 Zurich
Editor: Alessandro Fezzi
Source: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.

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