AM Report: US Sharemarkets Were Mixed On Friday

Earlier in the session the Dow Jones index gained 371 points on Bloomberg reports that China plans to increase purchases of American farm goods following talks in Hawaii this week. But increasing concerns about record COVID-19 cases in Florida and Arizona pushed shares lower with Apple (- 0.6%) re-closing 11 US stores. Volatility was heightened as equity options and futures on indexes expired. The Dow Jones index closed lower by 208 points or 0.8%. The S&P500 index fell 0.6%. The Nasdaq index was up by just 3 points. For the week, the Dow Jones gained 1%, the S&P 500 rose by 1.8% and the Nasdaq was up 3.7%.

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AM Report: ASX 200 Set To Surge As Market Plays Catch-Up With Wall St

US sharemarkets rose on Monday as easing lockdowns boosted economic optimism. The tech-focused Nasdaq index hit a new intraday record high. Boeing (+12.2%) led gains on the Dow Jones index. Occidental Petroleum’s shares rose by 17.4% after Bloomberg reported that the company is reviewing options for its Middle Eastern assets. The Dow Jones rose by 461 points or 1.7%. The S&P500 index rose 1.2% – turning positive for 2020. And the Nasdaq index rose by 110 points or 1.1%.

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AM Report: US Sharemarkets Lifted On Monday

Investors focused on signs of an economic recovery, despite growing civil unrest across the US. Shares dipped in early trading following reports that Chinese officials had told agricultural companies to pause some purchases of US farm goods, threatening the US-China trade deal. Apple (+1.2%), Amazon.com (+1.2%) and Facebook (+3%) shares boosted indexes. But Pfizer shares fell 7.2% after reporting disappointing trial results for a breast cancer drug. The Dow Jones index rose by 92 points or 0.4%, the S&P500 index rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq lifted by 62 points or 0.7%.

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AM Report: US Stocks Advance As Investors Focus On V-Shaped Recovery

US sharemarkets rose on Tuesday. Travel-related stocks soared, with the S&P 500 index up 13.5%, led by United Airlines (+16.3%) as US states begin opening up their economies. Shares of Novavax (+4.5%) and Merck (+1.2%) both lifted after they announced separate plans to develop and test COVID-19 vaccines. But reports that the US was considering sanctions on Chinese firms and officials over the situation in Hong Kong reduced index gains. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index rose by 530 points or 2.2%. The S&P500 index was up by 1.2%. And the Nasdaq index rose by 15 points or 0.2%.

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