Asia
Japan was the exception among Asia-Pacific stock markets on Thursday, posting a near-1% gain while China made a similar loss in percentage terms. A softening yen against the dollar helped Japan’s Nikkei 225 make progress.
Investors in stock market darling Tencent (00700) had a rude awakening as results by the tech firm were not followed by a big rise in its share price. With some analysts turning cautious on the firm, whose price has surged in the last year, the stock price went into reverse, losing nearly 5% on Thursday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell as a result, fuelled by the mood of global uncertainty.
Europe
With the pound continuing to make ground against major currencies, the FTSE 100 – which has since the Brexit vote risen on the back of dollar strength – inevitably struggled to push higher. The index was perilously close to dropping below the key 7,000 points level in midmorning trading – a level that was breached in the final month of 2016, as markets began their recovery after the summer’s shock Brexit vote.
Consumer cleaning and healthcare firm Reckitt Benckiser (RB) was the top of the FTSE 100 early on as investors backed a decision not to pursue the consumer healthcare division of US pharma giant Pfizer (PFE).
Following on from the Federal Reserve’s rate rise last night, there is more focus than usual on Bank of England. The City expects the Bank to raise rates a quarter point in May, to coincide with the quarterly inflation report, and to lay the ground for such a move in its statement today.
North America
The rise in interest rates announced by the US Federal Reserve initially had a positive effect on markets. But that effect was shortlived and the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all ended marginally lower on Wednesday’s close.
Facebook (FB) shares managed a small rise during market hours but fell around 1.5% in after-hours trading, as the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal continues to put a harsh spotlight on tech firms and how they manipulate user data.
Cruise operator Carnival (CCL) updates the market before it opens.