Australian Market

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.4% higher, aided by gains in materials, consumer and healthcare stocks.

US Market

The Nasdaq Composite climbed to a closing record amid sharp volatility in technology stocks and a big week for corporate earnings.  

The Nasdaq finished higher by 0.7%. The tech-heavy index jumped as much as 1.4% after the opening bell, then turned negative and tumbled to a 1.3% loss before rebounding. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.1%, while the S&P 500 added 0.4% to close at a record.  

A raft of corporate earnings reports in the coming days is expected to show which corporations are thriving and which are struggling amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commodities

Gold futures ended lower, down a third straight session, as government bond yields pulled back and the U.S. dollar strengthened, ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting on monetary policy later this week.

February gold fell $1, or nearly 0.1%, to settle at $1,855.20 an ounce, off the session’s low of $1,846.20.

Oil Futures

Oil futures declined for the session, pulling U.S. prices lower for the week after U.S. government data revealed an unexpected weekly rise in domestic crude supplies. A resurgence of Covid-19 infections in China and Southeast Asia also raised concerns about near-term oil demand.

West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery fell by 1.6% to settle at $52.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, with the contract down about 0.3% for the 

Global benchmark March Brent crude fell 1.2% at $55.41 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe, with prices holding on to a gain of around 0.6% for the week. Week, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

Forex

European Markets

Asian Markets

The Japanese Nikkei ended 0.7% higher, supported by pharmaceutical and utilities stocks. Coronavirus-related developments remain closely watched after local media reports said a surge in cases left at least 15,000 on waiting lists for hospitals or other accommodations.

China’s major stock benchmarks ended the session broadly higher. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.5% and the Shenzhen Composite Index added 0.3% while the ChiNext Price Index slipped 0.1%.