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Investing.com – Sweden stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Industrials, Consumer Services and Technology sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Stockholm, the OMX Stockholm 30 gained 0.64% to hit a new 6-months high.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Stockholm 30 were Sandvik AB (ST:SAND), which rose 3.60% or 6.10 points to trade at 175.75 at the close. Meanwhile, ASSA ABLOY AB ser. B (ST:ASSAb) added 2.09% or 4.3 points to end at 210.4 and AB SKF B (ST:SKFb) was up 1.60% or 2.8 points to 177.7 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Securitas AB ser. B (ST:SECUb), which fell 1.45% or 2.35 points to trade at 160.25 at the close. Boliden AB (ST:BOL) declined 1.00% or 2.90 points to end at 286.60 and Electrolux, AB ser. B (ST:ELUXb) was down 0.91% or 2.2 points to 239.8.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Shares in Sandvik AB (ST:SAND) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.60% or 6.10 to 175.75. Shares in ASSA ABLOY AB ser. B (ST:ASSAb) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 2.09% or 4.3 to 210.4.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.38% or 0.24 to $64.00 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June fell 0.04% or 0.03 to hit $71.95 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.01% or 0.01 to trade at $1277.90 a troy ounce.

EUR/SEK was up 0.03% to 10.4566, while USD/SEK fell 0.11% to 9.2989.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – Netherlands stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Technology, Consumer Goods and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Amsterdam, the AEX added 0.60% to hit a new 6-months high.

The best performers of the session on the AEX were Unilever NV DRC (AS:UNc), which rose 2.95% or 1.50 points to trade at 52.27 at the close. Meanwhile, ASML Holding NV (AS:ASML) added 1.80% or 3.24 points to end at 183.22 and Relx PLC (AS:REL) was up 0.87% or 0.170 points to 19.685 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Adyen NV (AS:ADYEN), which fell 2.59% or 17.80 points to trade at 670.00 at the close. Koninklijke Vopak NV (AS:VOPA) declined 1.97% or 0.86 points to end at 42.77 and ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) was down 1.15% or 0.245 points to 21.040.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Shares in Unilever NV DRC (AS:UNc) rose to all time highs; up 2.95% or 1.50 to 52.27.

The AEX Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of AEX options, was down 2.71% to 10.48 a new 6-months low.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.38% or 0.24 to $64.00 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June fell 0.04% or 0.03 to hit $71.95 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.01% or 0.01 to trade at $1277.90 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was up 0.20% to 1.1252, while EUR/GBP rose 0.22% to 0.8656.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – Germany stocks were mixed after the close on Friday, as gains in the Transportation&Logistics, Financial Services and Consumer&Cyclical sectors led shares higher while losses in the Food&Beverages, Pharmaceuticals&Healthcare and Basic Resources sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX gained 0.57% to hit a new 6-months high, while the MDAX index gained 0.23%, and the TecDAX index fell 0.37%.

The best performers of the session on the DAX were Daimler AG NA O.N. (DE:DAIGn), which rose 2.12% or 1.23 points to trade at 59.310 at the close. Meanwhile, Vonovia SE (DE:VNAn) added 1.44% or 0.63 points to end at 44.23 and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (DE:LHAG) was up 1.30% or 0.29 points to 22.590 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Wirecard AG (DE:WDIG), which fell 1.96% or 2.40 points to trade at 120.100 at the close. Fresenius Medical Care KGAA ST (DE:FMEG) declined 1.71% or 1.22 points to end at 70.160 and Merck KGaA (DE:MRCG) was down 1.20% or 1.14 points to 93.78.

The top performers on the MDAX were Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (DE:JUNG_p) which rose 2.62% to 32.060, Hella KGaA Hueck&Co (DE:HLE) which was up 2.24% to settle at 49.24 and Deutsche Wohnen AG (DE:DWNG) which gained 2.19% to close at 39.750.

The worst performers were Osram Licht AG (DE:OSRn) which was down 5.50% to 31.10 in late trade, Siemens Healthineers AG (DE:SHLG) which lost 2.42% to settle at 36.64 and Axel Springer SE (DE:SPRGn) which was down 2.13% to 50.500 at the close.

The top performers on the TecDAX were SMA Solar Technology AG (DE:S92G) which rose 4.58% to 21.020, Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG (DE:O2Dn) which was up 1.58% to settle at 2.897 and Nemetschek AG O.N. (DE:NEKG) which gained 1.27% to close at 151.900.

The worst performers were Medigene NA O.N. (DE:MDG1k) which was down 2.46% to 8.915 in late trade, Siemens Healthineers AG (DE:SHLG) which lost 2.42% to settle at 36.64 and Aixtron SE NA O.N. (DE:AIXGn) which was down 2.20% to 9.9020 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, was down 1.11% to 12.45.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.01% or 0.01 to $1277.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.38% or 0.24 to hit $64.00 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.04% or 0.03 to trade at $71.95 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.17% to 1.1248, while EUR/GBP rose 0.10% to 0.8646.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – Norway stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Auto&components, Pharma Biotech&Life Sciences and Energy sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Oslo, the Oslo OBX rose 0.22%.

The best performers of the session on the Oslo OBX were Golden Ocean Group Ltd (OL:GOGLT), which rose 2.07% or 0.96 points to trade at 47.26 at the close. Meanwhile, Storebrand ASA (OL:STB) added 2.04% or 1.46 points to end at 72.78 and Equinor ASA (OL:EQNR) was up 2.01% or 3.9 points to 198.4 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Marine Harvest ASA (OL:MOWI), which fell 1.98% or 3.80 points to trade at 187.70 at the close. Telenor ASA (OL:TEL) declined 1.80% or 3.1 points to end at 169.3 and SalMar ASA (OL:SALM) was down 1.58% or 6.40 points to 398.50.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Oslo Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.38% or 0.24 to $64.00 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June fell 0.04% or 0.03 to hit $71.95 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.01% or 0.01 to trade at $1277.90 a troy ounce.

EUR/NOK was up 0.15% to 9.5742, while USD/NOK fell 0.03% to 8.5108.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – France stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Industrials, Technology and Oil&Gas sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 gained 0.31% to hit a new 6-months high, while the SBF 120 index gained 0.30%.

The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Schneider Electric SE (PA:SCHN), which rose 2.72% or 2.04 points to trade at 77.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Valeo SA (PA:VLOF) added 2.43% or 0.77 points to end at 32.42 and Publicis Groupe SA (PA:PUBP) was up 1.54% or 0.78 points to 51.58 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Kering SA (PA:PRTP), which fell 5.04% or 27.10 points to trade at 510.40 at the close. ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) declined 1.15% or 0.245 points to end at 21.040 and Pernod Ricard SA (PA:PERP) was down 1.06% or 1.65 points to 154.70.

The top performers on the SBF 120 were Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) which rose 10.23% to 92.150, Vicat (PA:VCTP) which was up 5.63% to settle at 49.75 and Groupe FNAC (PA:FNAC) which gained 4.37% to close at 76.450.

The worst performers were Kering SA (PA:PRTP) which was down 5.04% to 510.40 in late trade, Ipsen SA (PA:IPN) which lost 2.49% to settle at 117.60 and Vallourec (PA:VLLP) which was down 2.46% to 2.341 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Shares in Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) rose to 5-year highs; up 10.23% or 8.550 to 92.150.

The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 2.94% to 11.38 a new 6-months low.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.01% or 0.01 to $1277.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.38% or 0.24 to hit $64.00 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.04% or 0.03 to trade at $71.95 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.14% to 1.1244, while EUR/GBP rose 0.13% to 0.8649.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – India stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Real Estate, Power and Metals sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NSE, the Nifty 50 lost 0.29%, while the BSE Sensex 30 index declined 0.34%.

The best performers of the session on the Nifty 50 were Reliance Industries Ltd (NS:RELI), which rose 3.14% or 42.20 points to trade at 1385.95 at the close. Meanwhile, Tata Motors Ltd (NS:TAMO) added 2.49% or 5.75 points to end at 236.25 and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (NS:BPCL) was up 1.51% or 5.40 points to 362.90 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Yes Bank Ltd (NS:YESB), which fell 4.00% or 10.65 points to trade at 255.80 at the close. Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (NS:INBF) declined 3.83% or 31.90 points to end at 800.55 and Hindalco Industries Ltd. (NS:HALC) was down 3.61% or 7.75 points to 207.20.

The top performers on the BSE Sensex 30 were Reliance Industries Ltd (BO:RELI) which rose 2.79% to 1382.90, Tata Motors Ltd (BO:TAMO) which was up 2.32% to settle at 235.90 and Tata Motors Ltd DVR (BO:TAMdv) which gained 2.20% to close at 113.65.

The worst performers were Yes Bank Ltd (BO:YESB) which was down 4.18% to 255.30 in late trade, Vedanta Ltd (BO:VDAN) which lost 3.51% to settle at 178.70 and IndusInd Bank Ltd. (BO:INBK) which was down 2.86% to 1764.00 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the India National Stock Exchange by 0 to 0; on the Bombay Stock Exchange, 0 fell and 0 advanced.

The India VIX, which measures the implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, was up 4.81% to 22.7350 a new 3-years high.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.01% or 0.01 to $1277.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.38% or 0.24 to hit $64.00 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.04% or 0.03 to trade at $71.95 a barrel.

USD/INR was down 0.06% to 69.377, while EUR/INR rose 0.16% to 78.0405.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as in the sectors led shares .

At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 unchanged 0.00%.

The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. (T:7735), which rose 5.96% or 330.0 points to trade at 5870.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Chiyoda Corp. (T:6366) added 5.57% or 19.0 points to end at 360.0 and Minebea Mitsumi Inc (T:6479) was up 4.53% or 87.0 points to 2007.0 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. (T:9064), which fell 10.49% or 283.5 points to trade at 2418.5 at the close. Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. (T:1925) declined 5.06% or 151.5 points to end at 2844.0 and Seven&i Holdings Co., Ltd. (T:3382) was down 3.96% or 152.0 points to 3685.0.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 1947 to 1511 and 247 ended unchanged.

Shares in Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. (T:9064) fell to 52-week lows; down 10.49% or 283.5 to 2418.5. Shares in Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. (T:1925) fell to 52-week lows; falling 5.06% or 151.5 to 2844.0. Shares in Seven&i Holdings Co., Ltd. (T:3382) fell to 5-year lows; falling 3.96% or 152.0 to 3685.0.

The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 5.73% to 14.82 a new 6-months low.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.38% or 0.24 to $64.00 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June fell 0.04% or 0.03 to hit $71.95 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.01% or 0.01 to trade at $1277.90 a troy ounce.

USD/JPY was down 0.04% to 111.92, while EUR/JPY rose 0.10% to 125.84.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Industrials, Telecoms and Technology sectors led shares higher.

At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.42% to hit a new 6-months high, while the S&P 500 index gained 0.16%, and the NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.02%.

The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which rose 2.26% or 4.91 points to trade at 221.75 at the close. Meanwhile, The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) added 2.25% or 3.06 points to end at 138.93 and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) was up 1.72% or 3.30 points to 194.91 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE), which fell 1.25% or 0.50 points to trade at 39.38 at the close. Merck&Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) declined 0.99% or 0.73 points to end at 73.19 and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) was down 0.96% or 1.99 points to 205.91.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were United Rentals Inc (NYSE:URI) which rose 8.14% to 136.00, Snap-On Inc (NYSE:SNA) which was up 6.48% to settle at 168.07 and Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) which gained 4.36% to close at 176.66.

The worst performers were Genuine Parts Co (NYSE:GPC) which was down 6.33% to 105.45 in late trade, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) which lost 4.90% to settle at 2.910 and Mattel Inc (NASDAQ:MAT) which was down 4.36% to 12.49 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Mustang Bio Inc (NASDAQ:MBIO) which rose 112.03% to 5.64, Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CKPT) which was up 20.73% to settle at 3.32 and Novan Inc (NASDAQ:NOVN) which gained 20.46% to close at 0.78.

The worst performers were Kona Grill Inc (NASDAQ:KONA) which was down 44.44% to 0.30 in late trade, StoneCo Ltd (NASDAQ:STNE) which lost 23.69% to settle at 26.51 and Ideal Power Inc (NASDAQ:IPWR) which was down 23.26% to 0.630 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1495 to 1467 and 123 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1348 fell and 1281 advanced, while 91 ended unchanged.

Shares in Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP) rose to all time highs; rising 4.36% or 7.38 to 176.66. Shares in The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 2.25% or 3.06 to 138.93. Shares in McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) rose to all time highs; up 1.72% or 3.30 to 194.91. Shares in Kona Grill Inc (NASDAQ:KONA) fell to all time lows; falling 44.44% or 0.24 to 0.30.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 4.05% to 12.09.

Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.07% or 0.95 to $1277.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.38% or 0.24 to hit $64.00 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.06% or 0.04 to trade at $71.94 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.04% to 1.1234, while USD/JPY rose 0.00% to 111.97.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.132.

Investing.com - The guessing game begins. With exactly two weeks to the expiration of the U.S. sanction waivers on Iran, oil bulls are holding tight to see which way President Donald Trump will lean.

Most of Thursday's action in crude was as exciting as watching paint dry before the market finally mustered a higher close. Many market participants already away for the Good Friday break. Those remaining did little more than move the West Texas Intermediate and Brent benchmarks by a few cents, musing on whether Saudi Arabia will announce a suspension or ease in production cuts before the May 2 decision on Iran.

New York-traded WTI settled up 24 cents, or 0.4%, at 64 per barrel.

London-tradedBrent rose by 38 cents, or 0.5%, to $72 by 2:43 PM ET.

For the week, WTI was up 0.8% while Brent rose 1.7%. Year to date, the U.S. benchmark showed a gain of 41% against a 34% rise for its U.K. peer.

"The oil trade is still looking for a sign from the Trump administration as to whether they will look to extend waivers to buyers of Iranian oil," said Phil Flynn, senior energy analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. "Will he, or won’t he?"

Analysts say the more the concessions the Saudis make on production cuts, the less inclined Trump will be to give waivers to importers of Iranian oil.

Riyadh and Washington have a decades-long history of cooperating in curbing Iran's rise as a Middle East power. They also have other motivations for acting against Tehran.

For the Saudis, it is decades of enmity with a country that ironically counts as one of the most important members of OPEC.

For Trump, it will be an extension of his mission to punish the Rouhani regime, which he accuses of terror and of getting an undeserved deal from President Barack Obama to export its oil in return for what he deemed soft curbs on its nuclear program.

While Trump has kept up with his anti-Iran rhetoric in his 2-1/2 years in office, he is also aware that wiping out Tehran's oil from the market will only exacerbate a supply shortage caused by sanctions that Washington also has on Venezuelan oi, and production outages in Libya brought on by a civil war.

Running contrary to Iran's sanctions game is also Trump's need to keep U.S. gas prices low. Pump prices of gasoline nationally have risen by around 25% this year to around $2.84 a gallon, according AAA. The average price of gasoline is more than $4 a gallon in California.

Investing.com - The U.S dollar jumped against its rivals on Thursday as mostly upbeat economic data pointed to strength in the underlying economy.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, rose by 0.50% to 97.14.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that initial jobless claims dropped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 192,000 for the week ended April 14, beating economists’ forecast for a rise to 205,000.

The Philadelphia Fed said Thursday its manufacturing index slowed to a reading of 8.5 in April, from 13.4 in last month.

But the Commerce Department said retail sales fell 1.6% last month. That exceeded economists' forecast for a 0.9 % rise. The retail sales control group – which has a larger impact on U.S. GDP – added 1%, well above expectation for a 0.4% increase.

The retail sales report showed the biggest headline gain since 2017 and comes after "lots of distortions in recent months, including weather, sluggish tax refunds, the government shutdown, and now a late Easter," Action Economics said.

A sharp drop in the euro also supported the dollar. Concerns that the eurozone economy is slowing were strengthened in after weaker-than-expected manufacturing reports from Germany and France.

EUR/USD fell 0.57% to $1.1230.

GBP/USD lost 0.42% to $1.2988, shrugging off better-than-expected U.K. retail sales data amid fears that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn are unlikely to reach a consensus a Brexit deal.

USD/JPY fell 0.10% to Y111.94, while USD/CAD rose 0.30% to C$1.3378.

Investing.com – Sweden stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Industrials, Consumer Services and Technology sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Stockholm, the OMX Stockholm 30 gained 0.64% to hit a new 6-months high.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Stockholm 30 were Sandvik AB (ST:SAND), which rose 3.60% or 6.10 points to trade at 175.75 at the close. Meanwhile, ASSA ABLOY AB ser. B (ST:ASSAb) added 2.09% or 4.3 points to end at 210.4 and AB SKF B (ST:SKFb) was up 1.60% or 2.8 points to 177.7 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Securitas AB ser. B (ST:SECUb), which fell 1.45% or 2.35 points to trade at 160.25 at the close. Boliden AB (ST:BOL) declined 1.00% or 2.90 points to end at 286.60 and Electrolux, AB ser. B (ST:ELUXb) was down 0.91% or 2.2 points to 239.8.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 315 to 258 and 79 ended unchanged.

Shares in Sandvik AB (ST:SAND) rose to all time highs; rising 3.60% or 6.10 to 175.75. Shares in ASSA ABLOY AB ser. B (ST:ASSAb) rose to 5-year highs; up 2.09% or 4.3 to 210.4.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.27% or 0.17 to $63.93 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June rose 0.45% or 0.32 to hit $71.94 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.04% or 0.55 to trade at $1276.25 a troy ounce.

EUR/SEK was up 0.18% to 10.4621, while USD/SEK rose 0.75% to 9.3158.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.130.

Investing.com – Netherlands stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Industrials and Consumer Services sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Amsterdam, the AEX rose 0.60% to hit a new 6-months high.

The best performers of the session on the AEX were Unilever NV DRC (AS:UNc), which rose 2.95% or 1.50 points to trade at 52.27 at the close. Meanwhile, ASML Holding NV (AS:ASML) added 1.80% or 3.24 points to end at 183.22 and Relx PLC (AS:REL) was up 0.87% or 0.170 points to 19.685 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Adyen NV (AS:ADYEN), which fell 2.59% or 17.80 points to trade at 670.00 at the close. Koninklijke Vopak NV (AS:VOPA) declined 1.97% or 0.86 points to end at 42.77 and ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) was down 1.15% or 0.245 points to 21.040.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by 68 to 58 and 14 ended unchanged.

Shares in Unilever NV DRC (AS:UNc) rose to all time highs; rising 2.95% or 1.50 to 52.27.

The AEX Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of AEX options, was down 2.71% to 10.48 a new 6-months low.

Crude oil for May delivery was up 0.28% or 0.18 to $63.94 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June rose 0.45% or 0.32 to hit $71.94 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.06% or 0.75 to trade at $1276.05 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was down 0.57% to 1.1230, while EUR/GBP fell 0.13% to 0.8645.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.49% at 97.127.

Investing.com – Germany stocks were mixed after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Transportation&Logistics, Financial Services and Consumer&Cyclical sectors led shares higher while losses in the Food&Beverages, Pharmaceuticals&Healthcare and Basic Resources sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX rose 0.57% to hit a new 6-months high, while the MDAX index gained 0.23%, and the TecDAX index lost 0.37%.

The best performers of the session on the DAX were Daimler AG NA O.N. (DE:DAIGn), which rose 2.12% or 1.230 points to trade at 59.310 at the close. Meanwhile, Vonovia SE (DE:VNAn) added 1.44% or 0.63 points to end at 44.23 and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (DE:LHAG) was up 1.30% or 0.290 points to 22.590 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Wirecard AG (DE:WDIG), which fell 1.96% or 2.400 points to trade at 120.100 at the close. Fresenius Medical Care KGAA ST (DE:FMEG) declined 1.71% or 1.220 points to end at 70.160 and Merck KGaA (DE:MRCG) was down 1.20% or 1.14 points to 93.78.

The top performers on the MDAX were Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (DE:JUNG_p) which rose 2.62% to 32.060, Hella KGaA Hueck&Co (DE:HLE) which was up 2.24% to settle at 49.24 and Deutsche Wohnen AG (DE:DWNG) which gained 2.19% to close at 39.750.

The worst performers were Osram Licht AG (DE:OSRn) which was down 5.50% to 31.10 in late trade, Siemens Healthineers AG (DE:SHLG) which lost 2.42% to settle at 36.64 and Axel Springer SE (DE:SPRGn) which was down 2.13% to 50.500 at the close.

The top performers on the TecDAX were SMA Solar Technology AG (DE:S92G) which rose 4.58% to 21.020, Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG (DE:O2Dn) which was up 1.58% to settle at 2.897 and Nemetschek AG O.N. (DE:NEKG) which gained 1.27% to close at 151.900.

The worst performers were Medigene NA O.N. (DE:MDG1k) which was down 2.46% to 8.915 in late trade, Siemens Healthineers AG (DE:SHLG) which lost 2.42% to settle at 36.64 and Aixtron SE NA O.N. (DE:AIXGn) which was down 2.20% to 9.9020 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 395 to 318 and 65 ended unchanged.

The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, was down 1.11% to 12.45.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.14% or 1.85 to $1274.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.14% or 0.09 to hit $63.67 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.17% or 0.12 to trade at $71.74 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.60% to 1.1226, while EUR/GBP fell 0.11% to 0.8647.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.52% at 97.160.

Investing.com – Russia stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Power, Oil&Gas and Manufacturing sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia declined 0.29%.

The best performers of the session on the MOEX Russia were X5 Retail Group NV (MCX:FIVEDR), which rose 2.31% or 40.0 points to trade at 1768.0 at the close. Meanwhile, NLMK ao (MCX:NLMK) added 1.09% or 1.86 points to end at 173.26 and Polymetal International PLC (MCX:POLY) was up 1.07% or 7.20 points to 683.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Yandex NV (MCX:YNDX), which fell 2.77% or 67.80 points to trade at 2383.20 at the close. Gazprom PAO (MCX:GAZP) declined 1.35% or 2.21 points to end at 161.79 and Sberbank Rossii OAO Pref (MCX:SBER_p) was down 1.23% or 2.50 points to 200.60.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 127 to 105 and 13 ended unchanged.

The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MOEX Russia options, was down 0.83% to 20.200.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.10% or 1.25 to $1275.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.19% or 0.12 to hit $63.64 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.07% or 0.05 to trade at $71.67 a barrel.

USD/RUB was up 0.19% to 63.9776, while EUR/RUB fell 0.32% to 71.8950.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.51% at 97.150.

Investing.com – France stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Consumer Goods and Oil&Gas sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 added 0.31% to hit a new 6-months high, while the SBF 120 index climbed 0.30%.

The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Schneider Electric SE (PA:SCHN), which rose 2.72% or 2.04 points to trade at 77.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Valeo SA (PA:VLOF) added 2.43% or 0.77 points to end at 32.42 and Publicis Groupe SA (PA:PUBP) was up 1.54% or 0.78 points to 51.58 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Kering SA (PA:PRTP), which fell 5.04% or 27.10 points to trade at 510.40 at the close. ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) declined 1.15% or 0.245 points to end at 21.040 and Pernod Ricard SA (PA:PERP) was down 1.06% or 1.65 points to 154.70.

The top performers on the SBF 120 were Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) which rose 10.23% to 92.150, Vicat (PA:VCTP) which was up 5.63% to settle at 49.75 and Groupe FNAC (PA:FNAC) which gained 4.37% to close at 76.450.

The worst performers were Kering SA (PA:PRTP) which was down 5.04% to 510.40 in late trade, Ipsen SA (PA:IPN) which lost 2.49% to settle at 117.60 and Vallourec (PA:VLLP) which was down 2.46% to 2.341 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 306 to 269 and 93 ended unchanged.

Shares in Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) rose to 5-year highs; up 10.23% or 8.550 to 92.150.

The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was down 2.94% to 11.38 a new 6-months low.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.10% or 1.25 to $1275.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.19% or 0.12 to hit $63.64 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.07% or 0.05 to trade at $71.67 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.57% to 1.1229, while EUR/GBP fell 0.06% to 0.8651.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.51% at 97.150.

Investing.com – Israel stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Biomed, Oil&Gas and Technology sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Tel Aviv, the TA 35 declined 0.56%.

The best performers of the session on the TA 35 were Israel Corp (TA:ILCO), which rose 2.36% or 2120 points to trade at 92080 at the close. Meanwhile, Nice Ltd (TA:NICE) added 2.12% or 980 points to end at 47210 and Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Corp Ltd (TA:BEZQ) was up 0.79% or 2.0 points to 256.0 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Perrigo (TA:PRGO), which fell 2.87% or 520 points to trade at 17610 at the close. Liveperson (TA:LPSN) declined 2.51% or 260 points to end at 10100 and Delek Group (TA:DLEKG) was down 2.48% or 1690 points to 66440.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange by 232 to 144 and 44 ended unchanged.

Shares in Nice Ltd (TA:NICE) rose to all time highs; rising 2.12% or 980 to 47210.

Crude oil for May delivery was down 0.27% or 0.17 to $63.59 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in June unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to hit $71.62 a barrel, while the June Gold Futures contract fell 0.14% or 1.85 to trade at $1274.95 a troy ounce.

USD/ILS was up 0.65% to 3.5937, while EUR/ILS rose 0.10% to 4.0365.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.48% at 97.123.

Investing.com – Turkey stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Tourism, Banking and Telecoms sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Istanbul, the BIST 100 declined 1.34%.

The best performers of the session on the BIST 100 were Ihlas Holding AS (IS:IHLAS), which rose 9.52% or 0.040 points to trade at 0.460 at the close. Meanwhile, Goltas Goller Bolgesi Cimento Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (IS:GOLTS) added 4.87% or 0.50 points to end at 10.77 and ENKA Insaat ve Sanayi AS (IS:ENKAI) was up 2.96% or 0.150 points to 5.210 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Sekerbank TAS (IS:SKBNK), which fell 5.61% or 0.060 points to trade at 1.010 at the close. GSD Holding AS (IS:GSDHO) declined 5.10% or 0.050 points to end at 0.930 and Akbank TAS (IS:AKBNK) was down 3.66% or 0.24 points to 6.31.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Istanbul Stock Exchange by 249 to 117 and 40 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.07% or 0.85 to $1275.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.22% or 0.14 to hit $63.62 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.10% or 0.07 to trade at $71.69 a barrel.

USD/TRY was up 1.15% to 5.8024, while EUR/TRY rose 0.65% to 6.5210.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.41% at 97.058.

Investing.com - Altria (NYSE:MO) fell by 3.03% to trade at $54.48 by 10:16 (14:16 GMT) on Thursday on the NYSE exchange.

The volume of Altria shares traded since the start of the session was 1.93M. Altria has traded in a range of $54.36 to $56.23 on the day.

The stock has traded at $57.1100 at its highest and $54.4800 at its lowest during the past seven days.

Investing.com - Honeywell (NYSE:HON) rose by 3.12% to trade at $167.99 by 10:00 (14:00 GMT) on Thursday on the NYSE exchange.

The volume of Honeywell shares traded since the start of the session was 1.33M. Honeywell has traded in a range of $165.89 to $169.14 on the day.

The stock has traded at $169.1400 at its highest and $159.2100 at its lowest during the past seven days.

Investing.com - Travelers (NYSE:TRV) rose by 3.21% to trade at $140.22 by 09:35 (13:35 GMT) on Thursday on the NYSE exchange.

The volume of Travelers shares traded since the start of the session was 186.64K. Travelers has traded in a range of $138.18 to $140.23 on the day.

The stock has traded at $140.3100 at its highest and $134.6000 at its lowest during the past seven days.

Investing.com - Stocks started the day slightly higher Thursday in what is expected to be a slow day of trading ahead of the three-day weekend.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, while the Dow gained 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.1%.

Volume may be unusually low at the opening bell today with many traders watching the press conference from Attorney General William Barr on the release of the Mueller report.

Sentiment received a boost ahead of trading when March retail sales numbers came in much stronger than expected. Retail sales rose 1.6% last month, well ahead of the 0.9% forecast, while core sales excluding autos rose 1.2%.

That was tempered somewhat by the Philly Fed manufacturing index falling more than anticipated for April.

Big-name earnings also helped, with Honeywell (NYSE:HON) rising 2.8% after raising its full-year forecast and insurance giant The Travelers (NYSE:TRV) rising 2.8% as profit topped forecasts on revenue about in line with expectations.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) rose 0.4% after beating on profit, but disappointing on the top line.

Also among active stocks, cannabis company Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) surged 8% after it agreed to buy U.S. pot company Acreage Holdings for $300 million (as soon as cannabis because legal in the U.S.).

And Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) and Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ:ZM) will debut on Wall Street today after raising more than anticipated with their IPOs. The companies both priced shares above the expected range after the bell Wednesday.

Meanwhile on trade, Washington and Beijing set a tentative timeline for a fresh round of face-to-face meetings ahead of a possible signing ceremony in late May or early June, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

-- Reuters contributed to this report.

Investing.com - Oil prices were trading slightly higher Thursday as declining U.S. inventories, supply cuts by major producers and U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran all lent support.

Global benchmark Brent crude futures were up 0.4% at $71.91 a barrel by 08:01 AM ET (11:01 GMT).

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 0.5% at $69.04.

Prices found support after the Energy Information Administration reported the first drawdown in crude stocks in four weeks on Wednesday.

Crude stockpiles fell by 1.4 million barrels last week, after a build of around 17 million barrels in three previous weeks.

The fall in oil prices came "despite a small (week on week) draw on U.S. crude inventories as observed in the latest EIA data, partly since imports slumped back toward the 6 million barrel per day mark while implied crude supply numbers remain firm," Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy said.

The EIA also reported that gasoline inventories declined by 1.17 million barrels, while distillate stockpiles, dropped by a smaller-than-forecast 0.36 million barrels.

Prices have been supported this year by an agreement reached by the OPEC and its allies, including Russia, to limit their oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

Global supply has been tightened further by U.S. sanctions on OPEC members Venezuela and Iran.

Analysts have been speculating on how soaring crude prices might influence President Donald Trump in deciding on the renewals for Iranian sanction waivers that expire next month.

"With the forward curve remaining strong over the last couple of weeks we feel prices will remain firm until we see what the president decides to do with the upcoming Iran sanction exemptions," said Tariq Zahir, managing member at the oil-focused Tyche Capital Advisors fund in New York.

"If the Saudis continue to produce well under the levels they had agreed to at OPEC and if Venezuela continues losing production and Libya remains in a fluid situation with its civil war, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the president extending waivers even more this time on Iran sanctions to keep the market prices from flying," Zahir added.

-- Reuters contributed to this report

Investing.com - American Express (NYSE:AXP) reported first quarter earnings that Beat analysts' expectations on Thursday and revenue that fell short of forecasts.

The firm reported earnings per share of $2.01 on revenue of $10.36B. Analysts polled by Investing.com forecast EPS of $1.99 on revenue of $10.46B. That compared to EPS of $1.86 on revenue of $9.72B in the same period a year earlier. The company had reported EPS of $2.32 on revenue of $10.47B in the previous quarter.

American Express shares lost 2.42% to trade at $109.05 in pre-market trade following the report.

American Express follows other major Financial sector earnings this month

On April 12, JPMorgan reported first quarter EPS of $2.65 on revenue of $29.85B, compared to forecasts of EPS of $2.35 on revenue of $28.44B.

Bank of America earnings Beat analysts' expectations on Tuesday, with first quarter EPS of $0.7 on revenue of $23B. Investing.com analysts expected EPS of $0.66 on revenue of $23.2B

Stay up-to-date on all of the upcoming earnings reports by visiting Investing.com's earnings calendar

Investing.com - Philip Morris (NYSE:PM) reported first quarter earnings that Beat analysts' expectations on Thursday and revenue that topped forecasts.

The firm reported earnings per share of $1.09 on revenue of $6.75B. Analysts polled by Investing.com anticipated EPS of $0.99 on revenue of $6.74B. That compared to EPS of $1 on revenue of $6.9B in the same period a year earlier. The company had reported EPS of $1.25 on revenue of $7.5B in the previous quarter.

Philip Morris follows other major Consumer/Non-Cyclical sector earnings this month

On Wednesday, PepsiCo reported first quarter EPS of $0.97 on revenue of $12.88B, compared to forecasts of EPS of $0.92 on revenue of $12.67B.

Constellation Brands B earnings Beat analysts' expectations on April 4, with fourth quarter EPS of $1.84 on revenue of $1.8B. Investing.com analysts expected EPS of $1.72 on revenue of $1.73B

Stay up-to-date on all of the upcoming earnings reports by visiting Investing.com's earnings calendar

Investing.com -- U.S. stock markets were set to open lower on Thursday, after weak European data and reports of a new North Korean weapons test challenged assumptions that the macro backdrop is changing for the better.

At 06:45 AM ET (1045 GMT), the benchmark S&P 500 futures contract was down 1.6 points, or 0.1%, while the Dow futures contract was down 42 points, or 0.2% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures down 5.4 points, or 0.1%.

It's a heavy day for earnings, with medical group Danaher and Suntrust Banks already reporting revenue and profit slightly ahead of expectations in the three months to March.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM), American Express (NYSE:AXP) and Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) are all also due to report before the opening, while ADRs in European consumer giants Nestle (OTC:NSRGY) and Unilever (NYSE:UL) may both catch a bid after the two companies reported stronger-than-expected organic sales growth earlier Thursday.

Image-sharing social media company Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) is set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange a day after it raised approximately $1.4 billion in its initial public offering. That was above the top end of its range but still well below the valuation implicit in its last private funding round.

Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ:ZM), meanwhile, is also set to make its debut after raising $751 million in an IPO that priced at $36 a share, above the top end of the marketing range.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of major currencies, rose 0.3% to 96.940 after purchasing manager indexes from across the euro zone suggested that the region is taking longer than feared to emerge from the slowdown at the turn of the year.

U.S. crude oil futures were also almost a dollar a barrel off this week's highs, after pricing in the softer economic data. A modest drop in U.S. crude stocks, reported by the government on Wednesday, gave little justification to add to long positions. Gold futures, meanwhile, hit a new low for 2019 earlier in the day before ticking up fractionally to to $1,277.35 a troy ounce.

Investing.com – India stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Real Estate, Power and Metals sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NSE, the Nifty 50 lost 0.29%, while the BSE Sensex 30 index lost 0.34%.

The best performers of the session on the Nifty 50 were Reliance Industries Ltd (NS:RELI), which rose 3.15% or 42.30 points to trade at 1385.95 at the close. Meanwhile, Tata Motors Ltd (NS:TAMO) added 2.30% or 5.30 points to end at 236.25 and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (NS:BPCL) was up 1.52% or 5.45 points to 362.90 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Yes Bank Ltd (NS:YESB), which fell 4.09% or 10.90 points to trade at 255.80 at the close. Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (NS:INBF) declined 4.44% or 36.95 points to end at 800.55 and Hindalco Industries Ltd. (NS:HALC) was down 3.70% or 7.95 points to 207.20.

The top performers on the BSE Sensex 30 were Reliance Industries Ltd (BO:RELI) which rose 2.79% to 1382.90, Tata Motors Ltd (BO:TAMO) which was up 2.32% to settle at 235.90 and Tata Motors Ltd DVR (BO:TAMdv) which gained 2.20% to close at 113.65.

The worst performers were Yes Bank Ltd (BO:YESB) which was down 4.18% to 255.30 in late trade, Vedanta Ltd (BO:VDAN) which lost 3.51% to settle at 178.70 and IndusInd Bank Ltd. (BO:INBK) which was down 2.86% to 1764.00 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the India National Stock Exchange by 1137 to 437 and 79 ended unchanged; on the Bombay Stock Exchange, 1620 fell and 844 advanced, while 156 ended unchanged.

The India VIX, which measures the implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, was up 4.81% to 22.7350 a new 3-years high.

Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.01% or 0.15 to $1276.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.05% or 0.03 to hit $63.73 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract rose 0.01% or 0.01 to trade at $71.63 a barrel.

USD/INR was up 0.28% to 69.603, while EUR/INR fell 0.10% to 78.3265.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.32% at 96.965.

Investing.com - SunTrust Banks (NYSE:STI) reported first quarter earnings that Beat analysts' expectations on Thursday and revenue that topped forecasts.

The firm reported earnings per share of $1.33 on revenue of $2.35B. Analysts polled by Investing.com forecast EPS of $1.31 on revenue of $2.33B. That compared to EPS of $1.29 on revenue of $2.24B in the same period a year earlier. The company had reported EPS of $1.4 on revenue of $2.37B in the previous quarter.

SunTrust Banks follows other major Financial sector earnings this month

On April 12, JPMorgan reported first quarter EPS of $2.65 on revenue of $29.85B, compared to forecasts of EPS of $2.35 on revenue of $28.44B.

Bank of America earnings Beat analysts' expectations on Tuesday, with first quarter EPS of $0.7 on revenue of $23B. Investing.com analysts expected EPS of $0.66 on revenue of $23.2B

Stay up-to-date on all of the upcoming earnings reports by visiting Investing.com's earnings calendar

Investing.com -- Here are the top 5 things you need to know in financial markets on Thursday, April 18.

1. It's Mueller Time

Today sees the publication of a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report into suspected collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election campaign.

Justice Department officials will deliver the report to Congress sometime between 11 AM ET (1500 GMT) and noon, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Attorney-General William Barr will hold a press conference at 09:30 AM, before either Congress or the public has seen the report.

2. Stocks Set to Open Lower; Zoom, Pinterest Price IPOs Above Range

U.S. markets are set to open lower Thursday after weak purchasing manager index reports in Europe and against a backdrop of mixed news from the high-profile Zoom and Pinterest (NYSE:PINS) IPOs.

At 5:30 AM ET, the blue-chip Dow futures were down 68 points, or 0.3%, S&P 500 futures had lost 5 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures were off 16 points, or 0.2%.

Image-sharing social media company Pinterest was set to debut on the New York Stock Exchange a day after it raised approximately $1.4 billion in its initial public offering. That was above the top end of its range but still well below the valuation implicit in its last private funding round.

Videoconferencing company Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ:ZM) was also to start trading after it raised $751.3 million in its IPO.

Read more: IPO Preview: Rarest Of Tech Unicorns, Pinterest Is Almost Profitable - Clement Thibault

3. Philip Morris, Union Pacific and Amex to Report 1Q

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) and Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) head the billing in earnings season today, while American Express (NYSE:AXP), Danaher (NYSE:DHR) and Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) also report ahead of the open. Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) will chip in after the closing bell.

In Europe earlier, consumer giants Nestle (OTC:NSRGY) and Unilever (NYSE:UL) both posted stronger-than-expected sales growth in the first quarter. The Swiss company’s shares hit a new all-time high in response.

By contrast, pipeline giant Kinder Morgan’s revenue fell some 8% short of expectations when it reported after the closing bell on Wednesday.

4. Retail Sales Expected to Rebound

U.S. retail sales data, due at 08:30 AM ET (1230 GMT) are expected to show a rebound of 0.9% in March after a sharp drop in February.

Data on jobless claims and the Philly Fed manufacturing index are due at the same time.

Also on the docket, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic is to speak at 12 PM ET (16:00 GMT).

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said Wednesday that the U.S. central bank may still be able to raise rates once this year and once in 2020.

Earlier in the day, the flash reading for the composite Eurozone Purchasing Managers' Index showed that growth in the bloc slowed in April for the second straight month.

5. Return of the Rocket Man

North Korea said it test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” ending a moratorium on weapons tests that it had observed since November 2017 and reviving concerns about the Communist country’s ambitions.

There was no indication that the weapon used nuclear material. All the same, the dollar rose 0.5% against the Korean Won, while the benchmark KOSPI stock index fell 1.4%.

The report took the gloss off news that the U.S. and China were looking to agree on a trade deal by early May with a view to a presidential sign-off at the end of next month.

By Geoffrey Smith

Investing.com -- Europe’s stock markets are struggling to add to recent gains Thursday, as a new round of business surveys suggest that the region’s manufacturing sector is still struggling to emerge from the slowdown of the last six months.

At 04:00 AM ET (0800 GMT), the benchmark Euro Stoxx 600 was down 1.12 points, or 0.3% at 388.46. The U.K. FTSE 100 and Germany’s Dax index were both also down 0.3%, while Italy’s FTSE MIB was the biggest loser, slipping 0.8% after the country’s central bank warned that its budget deficit is likely to be much wider than agreed with the EU in the next couple of years.

Flash readings of purchasing manager indexes for French and German manufacturing both fell short of expectations in April, although Germany’s did rise for the first time in nine months. Meanwhile, the equivalent French index fell surprisingly, with new orders continuing to decline. In both countries, readings from the services sector continued to be much better, with Germany’s reaching a six-month high.

“German manufacturing and service sectors are currently living in two different worlds,” said Nordea Markets analyst Jan von Gerich. “While any rebound is welcome news, the outlook for German manufacturing still looks horrible.”

The macro data have overshadowed a couple of impressive quarterly reports from consumer giants Nestle (SIX:NESN) and Unilever (LON:ULVR).

The Swiss giant has hit a new all-time high, continuing the tear it’s been on since the start of the year. Organic sales growth hit 3.4% in the first quarter, well ahead of the 2.8% consensus forecast, thanks not least to its baby food and pet food operations. The group is also advancing its reviews of its skin-care and processed meat operations, raising hopes that it will raise more cash for shareholders through disposals in the coming year.

Nestle’s great Anglo-Dutch rival Unilever released figures that weren’t quite as convincing. Organic sales rose only 3.1%, adjusted for M&A activity, and 1.9 percentage points of that was due to price increases rather than sales volume. The company still managed to increase its dividend by 6%, however, and chief executive Alain Jope said that its acquisitions over the last three years – which aim to ensure that the company stays abreast of changing consumer tastes – collectively grew by “double-digits”. Jope also forecast that sales would be “in the lower half” of its target range of 3%-5% for the whole of 2019.

Investing.com – Australia stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Energy, Telecoms Services and Utilities sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 added 0.05%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AX:WHC), which rose 6.44% or 0.270 points to trade at 4.460 at the close. Meanwhile, Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (AX:TWE) added 3.33% or 0.540 points to end at 16.780 and Ardent Leisure Ltd (AX:ALG) was up 3.23% or 0.040 points to 1.280 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY), which fell 11.62% or 0.215 points to trade at 1.635 at the close. Orocobre Ltd (AX:ORE) declined 6.13% or 0.220 points to end at 3.370 and Australian Pharma Industries Ltd (AX:API) was down 4.93% or 0.075 points to 1.445.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 577 to 554 and 390 ended unchanged.

Shares in Galaxy Resources Ltd (AX:GXY) fell to 52-week lows; losing 11.62% or 0.215 to 1.635.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was down 1.87% to 10.914.

Gold Futures for June delivery was down 0.28% or 3.55 to $1273.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.06% or 0.04 to hit $63.72 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 0.11% or 0.08 to trade at $71.54 a barrel.

AUD/USD was up 0.10% to 0.7185, while AUD/JPY fell 0.01% to 80.42.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 96.650.