Investing.com – Peru stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the S&P Lima Juniors, Banking&Financials and Mining sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Lima, the S&P Lima General gained 0.98% to hit a new 52-week high.

The best performers of the session on the S&P Lima General were Casa Grande (LM:CSG), which rose 4.80% or 0.300 points to trade at 6.550 at the close. Meanwhile, Atacocha (LM:ATB) added 4.17% or 0.015 points to end at 0.375 and Panoro (LM:PML) was up 3.97% or 0.006 points to 0.157 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Candente Copper (LM:DNT), which fell 18.07% or 0.0150 points to trade at 0.0680 at the close. Empresa Agroindustrial Pomalca (LM:POM) declined 2.54% or 0.003 points to end at 0.115 and ENGIE Energia Peru SA (LM:ENGI) was down 1.15% or 0.090 points to 7.760.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Lima Stock Exchange by 20 to 6 and 11 ended unchanged.

Shares in Empresa Agroindustrial Pomalca (LM:POM) fell to 3-years lows; losing 2.54% or 0.003 to 0.115. Shares in Panoro (LM:PML) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 3.97% or 0.006 to 0.157.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 3.42% or 1.61 to $48.70 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 3.59% or 1.83 to hit $52.86 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.16% or 2.13 to trade at $1290.27 a troy ounce.

USD/PEN was down 0.03% to 3.2415, while EUR/PEN rose 0.03% to 3.8089.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.30% at 93.36.

Investing.com - Flex Ltd (NASDAQ:FLEX) has received approval to purchase up to 20% of its shares outstanding, up to $500 million. This comes even after the company has repurchased $298.8 million worth of shares so far this year for a total of $2.6 billion.

Flex's shares were indicated up almost 1% in the after hours session. Flex's shares have climbed 8% year-to-date.

Investing.com – Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Financials, Real Estate and Electric Power sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa gained 1.09% to hit a new 3-months high.

The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were Natura Cosmeticos SA (SA:NATU3), which rose 4.35% or 1.16 points to trade at 27.81 at the close. Meanwhile, BB Seguridade Participacoes SA (SA:BBSE3) added 4.27% or 1.13 points to end at 27.58 and Petroleo Brasileiro SA PN (SA:PETR4) was up 4.21% or 0.55 points to 13.60 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were JBS SA (SA:JBSS3), which fell 2.04% or 0.17 points to trade at 8.17 at the close. Kroton Educacional SA (SA:KROT3) declined 1.69% or 0.30 points to end at 17.50 and Embraer SA (SA:EMBR3) was down 1.55% or 0.26 points to 16.56.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange by 208 to 200 and 33 ended unchanged.

The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was down 2.02% to 24.70.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.09% or 1.20 to $1291.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 3.33% or 1.57 to hit $48.66 a barrel, while the September US coffee C contract fell 0.13% or 0.17 to trade at $128.30 .

USD/BRL was down 0.93% to 3.1455, while EUR/BRL fell 0.60% to 3.7004.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.34% at 93.32.

Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Telecoms, Consumer Goods and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.35%, while the S&P 500 index lost 0.18%, and the NASDAQ Composite index lost 0.09%.

The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT), which rose 0.69% or 0.78 points to trade at 113.92 at the close. Meanwhile, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) added 0.53% or 0.56 points to end at 106.48 and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was up 0.50% or 0.38 points to 76.64 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), which fell 4.37% or 2.51 points to trade at 54.95 at the close. Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) declined 2.16% or 0.67 points to end at 30.37 and Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) was down 1.46% or 2.18 points to 147.49.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ:ROST) which rose 10.67% to 59.02, Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL) which was up 7.73% to settle at 105.92 and Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) which gained 2.92% to close at 5.28.

The worst performers were Foot Locker Inc (NYSE:FL) which was down 27.92% to 34.38 in late trade, Deere&Company (NYSE:DE) which lost 5.38% to settle at 117.31 and Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) which was down 4.37% to 54.95 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were root9B Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:RTNB) which rose 80.00% to 1.0800, FalconStor Software Inc (NASDAQ:FALC) which was up 33.51% to settle at 0.247 and Sportsmans (NASDAQ:SPWH) which gained 25.43% to close at 4.34.

The worst performers were Roka Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:ROKA) which was down 25.77% to 1.4900 in late trade, Pacific Special Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:PAAC) which lost 23.20% to settle at 7.45 and Valeritas Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:VLRX) which was down 13.54% to 3.58 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1634 to 1424 and 157 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1273 rose and 1206 declined, while 154 ended unchanged.

Shares in Foot Locker Inc (NYSE:FL) fell to 3-years lows; falling 27.92% or 13.32 to 34.38. Shares in Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL) rose to all time highs; up 7.73% or 7.60 to 105.92. Shares in Roka Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:ROKA) fell to 52-week lows; falling 25.77% or 0.5173 to 1.4900. Shares in Pacific Special Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:PAAC) fell to all time lows; down 23.20% or 2.25 to 7.45. Shares in Valeritas Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:VLRX) fell to all time lows; losing 13.54% or 0.56 to 3.58.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 8.30% to 14.26.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.06% or 0.83 to $1291.57 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 3.33% or 1.57 to hit $48.66 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 3.55% or 1.81 to trade at $52.84 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.34% to 1.1763, while USD/JPY fell 0.36% to 109.18.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.34% at 93.32.

Investing.com – U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday, as U.S. political uncertainty continued unabated, after White house chief strategist Steven Bannon resigned.

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

U.S. stocks moved higher on news of Bannon’s resignation, but gains were short lived as safe demand increased, after investors questioned whether the recent controversies engulfing President Trump would impair his ability to push through pro-growth economic reforms.

Some analysts, however, were quick to downplay the long-term impact of the recent shakeup in the Trump administration.

“The news of the day around the White House has no long term impact,” said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset management, in an interview.

The political upheaval in Washington overshadowed data showing U.S. consumer sentiment topped forecasts in August.

The consumer sentiment index, a survey of consumers by The University of Michigan, rose to 97.6 in August. Economists estimated the index would climb to 94 from the 93.4 reading in July.

U.S. stocks posted a negative end to a busy week, which included the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July meeting, showing fed members were divided on future interest rate increases, citing concerns over slow inflation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower at 21,674. The S&P 500 closed 0.18% lower while the Nasdaq Composite closed at 6216.53, down 0.09%.

‘Bulls and Bears’ on Wall Street

The top Dow gainers for the session: Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) up 0.7%, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) up 0.5% and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) up 0.5%

Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) down 4.4%, Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) down 2.2% and Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) down 1.5%, were among the worst Dow performers of the session.

Investing.com- Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC)shares spiked higher on Friday after Randy Simpson and Matt Ripperger have resigned the board due to "irreconcilable differences."

Both board members joined as nominees of employer Glenview Capital Management. On Thursday, they issued a joint letter to the board with their immediate withdrawals. "We are writing to confirm our resignation from the Board of Directors of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, effective immediately, due to irreconcilable differences regarding significant matters impacting Tenet and its stakeholders," the two write in their letter.

Randy Simpson was a member of the Board of Director’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and the Quality, Compliance & Ethics Committee. Matt Ripperger served on the Board of Director’s Human Resources Committee.

Tenet Healthcare closed Friday’s session up 14.5%

Investing.com – Bitcoin added to losses on Friday, a day after setting fresh all-time highs amid growing investor concerns that the digital currency could face a second split in November.

On the U.S.-based Bitfinex exchange, bitcoin fell to $4,062.6, down $272.4 or 6.28%.

Following the adoption of the first part of Segwit2x, a software upgrade to speed up transactions on the bitcoin network, investors feared that the second part of the Segwit2x update due November, could result in a second split in the blockchain supporting bitcoin.

The second part of the SegWit2x seeks to double the transaction capacity on the bitcoin network, allowing speedier transactions, however, not all members of the bitcoin community agree with the proposal, raising fears of a yet another split in the digital currency – an event known as a ‘hard fork’.

Bitcoin’s blockchain split into two on August 2, after members of the bitcoin community rejected the first part of the SegWit2x upgrade, creating a competing currency called ‘Bitcoin Cash’.

Bitcoin Cash rallied 60.25% to $603, on the back of a surge in trading volume on Korean exchanges while Ethereum, dipped by 4.06% $291.36

To stay on top of the latest moves in the crypto-space, be sure to check out: https://www.investing.com/crypto/

Investing.com – Gold prices were roughly unchanged on Friday struggling to take advantage of a slump in the dollar, following continued political uncertainty in Washington as Steve Bannon resigned from his role as White House chief strategist.

Gold futures for December delivery on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $0.91 or 0.07%, to $1,293.28 a troy ounce.

Gold started the session on the front foot hitting a nine-month high of $1,306.14, before pairing losses, as safe-haven demand grew in the wake of ongoing U.S. political uncertainty, after Steve Bannon resigned from his post as White House chief strategist, according to a White House official.

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

The latest twist in the US political saga follows a week of setbacks for President Trump, after the disbandment of two high-profile business advisory councils over his remarks on violence in Virginia raised doubts over his ability to push through his pro-economic agenda.

“Trump’s domestic behavior is making investors nervous about how he will handle delicate foreign issues, even though talk of firing nuclear missiles on North Korea has eased,” Maxwell Gold, director of investment strategy at ETF Securities said in emailed comments.

Other precious metals failed to take advantage of the slump in the dollar, as silver futures fell 0.22% to $17.02 an ounce while platinum futures gained 0.15% to $983.15 an ounce.

Copper traded at $2.93, down 0.14%, while Natural Gas fell 1.09% to $2.897.

Investing.com - Matson Inc (NYSE:MATX) shares plunged on Friday amid concerns that new competition will hamper the company’s business.

On Thursday, TOTE Maritime announced plans to establish a new shipping service to Hawaii and has signed a letter of intent to acquire up to four newbuild containerships similar in size to the Aloha-class vessels now being built for Matson.

Following concerns that new competition will drive down Matson's revenue sparked a few analysts to downgrade their ratings on the company. Stephens downgraded Matson to Equal Weight from Overweight and slashed its price target to $23 for $36. Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) downgraded Matson to Underperform from Market Perform with a $22 price target.

Matson's shares were down 23% in afternoon trade - their largest daily loss, ever.

Investing.com – The dollar traded lower against a basket of global currencies on Friday, as U.S. political drama continued to weigh on sentiment, raising doubts over the Trump administration’s ability to push through its pro-growth economic agenda.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, fell by 0.22% to 93.42.

U.S. political drama remained front and centre on Friday, after Donald Trump told aides he has decided to remove Steve Bannon from his post as chief White house advisor, according to a White House official.

"White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

The latest twist in the U.S. political saga comes on the back of growing concerns that recent controversies engulfing U.S. President Donald Trump could derail the president’s ability to push through his pro-growth agenda.

Losses in the greenback, however, were capped as a preliminary reading for consumer sentiment data for August topped expectations adding to narrative of a strengthening U.S. economy.

The consumer sentiment index, a survey of consumers by The University of Michigan, rose to 97.6 in August. Economists estimated the index would climb to 94 from the 93.4 reading in July.

The greenback struggled to pare gains against the yen, which is often favoured as a safe haven currency in times of market turmoil, as USD/JPY fell 0.08% to Y109.49.

Elsewhere, USD/CAD lost 0.85% to C$1.2572, despite a weaker-than-expected reading for Canadian inflation for July.

EUR/USD rose by 0.17% to $1.1743 shrugging off a downturn in sentiment, following minutes from the ECB’s July policy meeting showing officials warned that the recent surge in the euro could hamper the central bank’s efforts to get inflation closer to its target of below, but close to, 2%.

GBP/USD fell 0.09% to $1.2858.

Investing.com – Morocco stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Electrical&Electronic equipment, Utilities and Pharmaceutical Industry sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Casablanca, the Moroccan All Shares rose 0.23%.

The best performers of the session on the Moroccan All Shares were Ciments Du Maroc (CS:SCM), which rose 7.51% or 104 points to trade at 1489 at the close. Meanwhile, Afriquia Gaz (CS:AGAZ1) added 5.99% or 161 points to end at 2849 and Dari Couspate SA (CS:DRI) was up 5.96% or 155 points to 2755 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Aluminum du Maroc SA (CS:ALU), which fell 4.29% or 54 points to trade at 1206 at the close. Snep (CS:SNP) declined 3.43% or 19.90 points to end at 561.10 and Label Vie (CS:LBV) was down 3.06% or 48 points to 1520.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 31 to 20 and 4 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 2.78% or 1.31 to $48.40 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 3.04% or 1.55 to hit $52.58 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.02% or 0.28 to trade at $1292.12 a troy ounce.

EUR/MAD was up 0.05% to 11.1350, while USD/MAD fell 0.14% to 9.4780.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 93.43.

Investing.com - Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) shares were crashing on high trading volumes on Friday as traders ran for the exits following the company’s second-quarter results and ensuing analyst downgrade.

Deere reported in the pre-market session Friday that it earned more than analysts were expecting in the second quarter while revenue was a miss. Net income rose to $641.8 million, or $1.97 a share, from $488.8 million, or $1.55 a share, in the same period a year ago. The result also surpassed the FactSet consensus for EPS of $1.93. Total revenue rose to $7.81 billion from $6.72 billion but missed the consensus of $7.90 billion.

The company noted that agriculture and turf sales rose 13% to $5.34 billion, below the FactSet consensus of $5.42 billion. Construction and forestry revenue jumped 29% to $1.50 billion, in line with expectations.

Even though the results were mixed, traders sold off their holdings. Shares were down just over 5% in afternoon trading. 7.84 million shares had changed hands as of midday Friday, more than triple the typical daily average. Shares have staged a very good performance this year, climbing 20% as of Thursday's closing bell.

Commenting on the result, in a note Baird analyst Mircea Dobre cut his rating to Neutral from outperform since Oct. 31, and dropped his stock price target by $10 to $130. "The stock had a good run, it's about to get tougher going forward," Dobre wrote.

Investing.com – Finland stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Technology, Consumer Goods and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Helsinki, the OMX Helsinki 25 fell 0.90%.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Helsinki 25 were Fortum Oyj (HE:FORTUM), which rose 1.16% or 0.17 points to trade at 14.87 at the close. Meanwhile, Cargotec Oyj (HE:CGCBV) added 0.39% or 0.20 points to end at 51.80 and Elisa Oyj (HE:ELISA) was up 0.11% or 0.04 points to 36.01 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Amer Sports Corporation (HE:AMEAS), which fell 3.47% or 0.82 points to trade at 22.84 at the close. Nokia Oyj (HE:NOKIA) declined 2.05% or 0.110 points to end at 5.260 and Huhtamaki Oyj (HE:HUH1V) was down 1.85% or 0.62 points to 32.90.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Helsinki Stock Exchange by 107 to 25 and 20 ended unchanged.

Brent oil for October delivery was up 2.84% or 1.45 to $52.48 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 2.61% or 1.23 to hit $48.32 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.05% or 0.63 to trade at $1293.03 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was up 0.23% to 1.1750, while EUR/GBP rose 0.31% to 0.9138.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 93.43.

Investing.com – Netherlands stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Consumer Services, Industrials and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Amsterdam, the AEX fell 0.78%.

The best performers of the session on the AEX were ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT), which rose 0.54% or 0.120 points to trade at 22.200 at the close. Meanwhile, Aalberts Industries NV (AS:AALB) added 0.17% or 0.07 points to end at 37.34 and Aegon NV (AS:AEGN) was down 0.02% or 0.001 points to 4.978 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Koninklijke Vopak NV (AS:VOPA), which fell 9.08% or 3.75 points to trade at 37.60 at the close. Wolters Kluwer (AS:WLSNc) declined 2.19% or 0.83 points to end at 37.04 and Relx NV (AS:RELN) was down 1.84% or 0.330 points to 17.630.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by 106 to 25 and 4 ended unchanged.

Shares in Koninklijke Vopak NV (AS:VOPA) fell to 52-week lows; down 9.08% or 3.75 to 37.60.

The AEX Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of AEX options, was up 8.93% to 14.01.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 2.59% or 1.22 to $48.31 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 2.84% or 1.45 to hit $52.48 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.03% or 0.44 to trade at $1292.84 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was up 0.23% to 1.1750, while EUR/GBP rose 0.31% to 0.9138.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 93.43.

Investing.com – France stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Technology, Consumer Services and Industrials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Paris, the CAC 40 declined 0.64%, while the SBF 120 index fell 0.67%.

The best performers of the session on the CAC 40 were Credit Agricole SA (PA:CAGR), which rose 1.15% or 0.175 points to trade at 15.335 at the close. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal SA (AS:MT) added 0.54% or 0.120 points to end at 22.200 and Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) was up 0.41% or 0.20 points to 48.02 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin SCA (PA:MICP), which fell 1.88% or 2.20 points to trade at 114.60 at the close. Nokia Oyj (PA:NOKIA) declined 1.77% or 0.095 points to end at 5.261 and Unibail Rodamco SE (AS:UNBP) was down 1.59% or 3.45 points to 213.80.

The top performers on the SBF 120 were Electricite de France SA (PA:EDF) which rose 1.38% to 9.41, Credit Agricole SA (PA:CAGR) which was up 1.15% to settle at 15.335 and Spie SA (PA:SPIE) which gained 0.85% to close at 23.195.

The worst performers were Soitec SA (PA:SOIT) which was down 2.61% to 48.840 in late trade, JC Decaux SA (PA:JCDX) which lost 2.31% to settle at 28.75 and Eutelsat Communications (PA:ETL) which was down 2.29% to 24.30 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Paris Stock Exchange by 385 to 190 and 98 ended unchanged.

The CAC 40 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of CAC 40 options, was up 20.55% to 17.11.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.02% or 0.21 to $1292.19 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 2.57% or 1.21 to hit $48.30 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 2.84% or 1.45 to trade at $52.48 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.22% to 1.1749, while EUR/GBP rose 0.30% to 0.9137.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 93.44.

Investing.com – Denmark stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Healthcare, Software&Computer Services and Real Estate sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Copenhagen, the OMX Copenhagen 20 declined 0.57%.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Copenhagen 20 were ISS A/S (CO:ISS), which rose 3.36% or 8.00 points to trade at 246.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CO:VWS) added 2.53% or 14.5 points to end at 587.5 and GN Store Nord (CO:GN) was up 1.84% or 3.7 points to 204.4 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Genmab (CO:GEN), which fell 2.65% or 36.0 points to trade at 1324.0 at the close. Novo Nordisk A/S B (CO:NOVOb) declined 1.92% or 5.6 points to end at 286.4 and Lundbeck A/S (CO:LUN) was down 1.85% or 7.1 points to 375.8.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange by 76 to 48 and 12 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 2.59% or 1.22 to $48.31 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 2.80% or 1.43 to hit $52.46 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.01% or 0.17 to trade at $1292.23 a troy ounce.

USD/DKK was down 0.22% to 6.3296, while EUR/DKK rose 0.00% to 7.4364.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 93.44.

Investing.com – Belgium stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Consumer Goods, Technology and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 fell 0.48%.

The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were Ageas (BR:AGES), which rose 0.15% or 0.060 points to trade at 39.575 at the close. Meanwhile, Proximus NV (BR:PROX) added 0.05% or 0.01 points to end at 29.66 and NV Bekaert SA (BR:BEKB) was up 0.02% or 0.01 points to 40.33 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Umicore NV (BR:UMI), which fell 1.70% or 1.11 points to trade at 64.18 at the close. Ontex Group (BR:ONTEX) declined 1.41% or 0.41 points to end at 28.95 and Anheuser Busch Inbev SA NV (BR:ABI) was down 1.36% or 1.37 points to 99.08.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 65 to 40 and 11 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.16% or 2.01 to $1294.41 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 2.65% or 1.25 to hit $48.34 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 2.94% or 1.50 to trade at $52.53 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.20% to 1.1747, while EUR/GBP rose 0.29% to 0.9136.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.22% at 93.43.

Investing.com – U.K. stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Construction&Materials, Tobacco and Real Estate Investment Trusts REITs sectors led shares lower.

At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 lost 0.90%.

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Randgold Resources Ltd (LON:RRS), which rose 1.22% or 90.00 points to trade at 7495.00 at the close. Meanwhile, RSA Insurance Group PLC (LON:RSA) added 0.39% or 2.50 points to end at 652.00 and Mondi PLC (LON:MNDI) was up 0.34% or 7.00 points to 2068.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK), which fell 5.97% or 71.00 points to trade at 1119.00 at the close. Paddy Power Betfair PLC (LON:PPB) declined 3.95% or 295.00 points to end at 7180.00 and Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB) was down 2.98% or 25.00 points to 815.00.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1393 to 495 and 446 ended unchanged.

Shares in Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) fell to 3-years lows; losing 5.97% or 71.00 to 1119.00. Shares in Paddy Power Betfair PLC (LON:PPB) fell to 52-week lows; down 3.95% or 295.00 to 7180.00. Shares in Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB) fell to 3-years lows; losing 2.98% or 25.00 to 815.00.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.12% or 1.53 to $1293.93 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 2.57% or 1.21 to hit $48.30 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 2.92% or 1.49 to trade at $52.52 a barrel.

GBP/USD was down 0.12% to 1.2852, while EUR/GBP rose 0.33% to 0.9140.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.20% at 93.45.

Investing.com – Germany stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Technology, Construction and Media sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX declined 0.31%, while the MDAX index fell 0.29%, and the TecDAX index lost 0.51%.

The best performers of the session on the DAX were Muench. Rueckvers. VNA O.N. (DE:MUVGn), which rose 1.30% or 2.30 points to trade at 178.70 at the close. Meanwhile, RWE AG ST O.N. (DE:RWEG) added 0.83% or 0.170 points to end at 20.605 and Commerzbank AG O.N. (DE:CBKG) was up 0.51% or 0.055 points to 10.935 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Merck KGaA (DE:MRCG), which fell 1.89% or 1.75 points to trade at 91.01 at the close. Fresenius SE&Co KGAA O.N. (DE:FREG) declined 1.43% or 1.000 points to end at 68.700 and Adidas AG (DE:ADSGN) was down 1.30% or 2.50 points to 189.25.

The top performers on the MDAX were STADA Arzneimittel VNA O.N. (DE:STAGn) which rose 13.18% to 72.550, Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (DE:PBBG) which was up 1.77% to settle at 12.04 and Covestro AG (DE:1COV) which gained 1.72% to close at 67.340.

The worst performers were CTS Eventim AG (DE:EVDG) which was down 2.07% to 37.680 in late trade, Norma Group AG NA O.N. (DE:NOEJ) which lost 1.82% to settle at 51.930 and Deutsche Euroshop AG (DE:DEQGn) which was down 1.74% to 33.645 at the close.

The top performers on the TecDAX were CompuGroup Medical AG O.N. (DE:COPMa) which rose 2.89% to 50.150, S&T AG (F:SANT1) which was up 0.96% to settle at 16.911 and Sartorius AG VZO O.N. (DE:SATG_p) which gained 0.80% to close at 85.260.

The worst performers were Nordex SE O.N. (DE:NDXG) which was down 4.26% to 11.680 in late trade, GFT Technologies AG (DE:GFTG) which lost 3.02% to settle at 16.205 and Slm Solution G (DE:AM3D) which was down 2.28% to 30.40 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 563 to 193 and 31 ended unchanged.

Shares in RWE AG ST O.N. (DE:RWEG) rose to 52-week highs; rising 0.83% or 0.170 to 20.605. Shares in STADA Arzneimittel VNA O.N. (DE:STAGn) rose to all time highs; up 13.18% or 8.450 to 72.550. Shares in Deutsche Euroshop AG (DE:DEQGn) fell to 52-week lows; falling 1.74% or 0.595 to 33.645.

The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, was up 10.67% to 16.64.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.16% or 2.02 to $1294.42 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 2.42% or 1.14 to hit $48.23 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 2.72% or 1.39 to trade at $52.42 a barrel.

EUR/USD was up 0.20% to 1.1747, while EUR/GBP rose 0.36% to 0.9143.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 93.44.

Investing.com – Norway stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Healthcare Equipment&Services, Pharma Biotech&Life Sciences and Media sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Oslo, the Oslo OBX lost 0.09%.

The best performers of the session on the Oslo OBX were P/f Bakkafrost (OL:BAKKA), which rose 2.68% or 8.80 points to trade at 337.70 at the close. Meanwhile, Golden Ocean Group Ltd (OL:GOGLT) added 2.63% or 1.75 points to end at 68.25 and Grieg Seafood (OL:GSFO) was up 1.44% or 1.00 points to 70.50 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Nordic Nanovector ASA (OL:NANOV), which fell 3.17% or 2.65 points to trade at 81.05 at the close. Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (OL:NWC) declined 2.37% or 4.6 points to end at 189.8 and DNO International ASA (OL:DNO) was down 2.31% or 0.21 points to 8.65.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Oslo Stock Exchange by 98 to 79 and 29 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 1.66% or 0.78 to $47.87 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 2.10% or 1.07 to hit $52.10 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.22% or 2.79 to trade at $1295.19 a troy ounce.

EUR/NOK was down 0.44% to 9.3007, while USD/NOK fell 0.67% to 7.9157.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.23% at 93.42.

Investing.com – Sweden stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Consumer Goods, Industrials and Consumer Services sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Stockholm, the OMX Stockholm 30 fell 0.52% to hit a new 6-months low.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Stockholm 30 were Sandvik AB (ST:SAND), which rose 0.56% or 0.70 points to trade at 126.70 at the close. Meanwhile, Boliden AB (ST:BOL) added 0.53% or 1.40 points to end at 265.00 and Nordea Bank AB (ST:NDA) was up 0.29% or 0.30 points to 103.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Fingerprint Cards AB ser. B (ST:FINGb), which fell 2.25% or 0.79 points to trade at 34.32 at the close. Autoliv Inc . SDB (ST:ALIVsdb) declined 1.84% or 16.0 points to end at 855.5 and Getinge AB ser. B (ST:GETIb) was down 1.31% or 1.9 points to 142.7.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 519 to 215 and 61 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 1.51% or 0.71 to $47.80 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 2.02% or 1.03 to hit $52.06 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.23% or 2.99 to trade at $1295.39 a troy ounce.

EUR/SEK was down 0.12% to 9.5305, while USD/SEK fell 0.35% to 8.1111.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.23% at 93.42.

Investing.com - Gold prices climbed to a nine-month peak on Friday, breaching the $1.300 threshold for the first time since November 2016, as a series of terrorist attacks in Spain on Thursday continued to support demand for the safe-haven metal.

Comex gold futures were up around $8.99, or about 0.7%, to $1,301.53 a troy ounce by 8:30AM ET (1230GMT), the highest since November 2016.

Gold prices strengthened after a van rammed into pedestrians in a crowded tourist area of Barcelona on Thursday evening, killing at least 14 people and injuring 100 others.

Shortly after, a second attack was perpetrated in Cambrils, a coastal town south of Barcelona, where police said they killed five attackers.

So far three men have been arrested as country-wide anti-terror operations remain underway, according to local officials.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident, though the claim has not been verified.

The precious metal was also supported by a weaker U.S. dollar on Friday, amid concerns U.S. President Donald Trump will not be able to implement his agenda, as he faces mounting opposition even from within his own political party.

Eight chief executives quit two business advisory councils on Wednesday, in protest over Trump’s controversial remarks on weekend violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Republican Senator Bob Corker also made headlines this week when he slammed Trump's handling of the protests in Charlottesville, saying that the President "has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,."

The dollar had already weakened after the Federal Reserve’s July policy meeting released on Wednesday showed that policymakers remain concerned over low levels of inflation, which could mean the central bank may avoid raising rates again this year.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.18% at 93.47.

Gold is sensitive to moves higher in both U.S. rates and the dollar. A weaker dollar makes gold less expensive for holders of foreign currency, while a rise in U.S. rates lifts the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as bullion.

Elsewhere on the Comex, silver futures climbed 13 cents, or around 0.8%, to $17.19 a troy ounce.

Investing.com - The dollar remained broadly lower against the other major currencies on Friday, as a series of terrorist attacks perpetrated Thursday evening in Spain continued to dominate market sentiment, while ongoing U.S. political tensions also weighed.

The yen and Swiss franc were higher, with USD/JPY down 0.48% at 109.03 and with USD/CHF slipping 0.19% to trade at 0.9613.

Demand for the safe-haven currencies strengthened after a van rammed into pedestrians in a crowded tourist area of Barcelona on Thursday evening, killing at least 14 people and injuring 100 others.

Shortly after, a second attack was perpetrated in Cambrils, a coastal town south of Barcelona, where police said they killed five attackers.

So far three men have been arrested as country-wide anti-terror operations remain underway, according to local officials.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident, though the claim has not been verified.

EUR/USD edged up 0.13% to 1.1738, off the previous session’s three-week low of 1.1662, while GBP/USD held steady at 1.2876.

Sentiment on the greenback remained vulnerable amid concerns U.S. President Donald Trump will not be able to implement his agenda, as he faces mounting opposition including from within his own political party.

Eight chief executives quit two business advisory councils on Wednesday, in protest over Trump’s controversial remarks on weekend violence in Virginia.

Republican Senator Bob Corker also made headlines this week when he slammed Trump's handling of the protests in Charlottesville, saying that the President "has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,."

The dollar had already weakened after the Federal Reserve’s July policy meeting released on Wednesday showed that policymakers remain concerned over low levels of inflation, which could mean the central bank may avoid raising rates again this year.

The Australian and New Zealand dollars remained stronger, with AUD/USD up 0.37% at 0.7915 and with NZD/USD climbing 0.52% to 0.7321.

Meanwhile, USD/CAD edged down 0.17% to trade at 1.2658.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.18% at 93.47.

Investing.com – Wall Street futures pointed to a flat open on Friday as sentiment struggled to recover from concerns over a Trump administration meltdown and positive earnings helped to support gains as investors looked ahead to a reading on consumer confidence.

The blue-chip Dow futures wavered around the unchanged mark at 6:50AM ET (10:50GMT), the S&P 500 futures inched up 1 point, or 0.04%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 16 points, or 0.27%.

Turbulence surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration following the backlash over his statements on the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

Market players see the recent political turmoil as an obstacle to Trump being able to follow through on infrastructure spending and tax reforms.

Also weighing on sentiment was a bought of terrorist attacks in Spain that began late Thursday.

In Barcelona, a van rammed into tourists on Thursday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring 100 others.

Further down the Spanish coast, police took down five suspects in a shootout in Cambrils on Friday in response to what was another planned attack related to the Barcelona incident.

Additionally, an explosion further south in Alcanar was reportedly attributed to an error by terrorists in a bomb-making workshop.

Back in the States, a string of positive earnings after the close supported investor sentiment.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) soared more than 10% in pre-market trade Friday after the apparel and home-fashion retailer beat expectations on both the top and bottom line.

Shares in Gap Inc (NYSE:GPS) also jumped more than 5% after the clothing retailer reported a positive quarter and increased its full-year profit forecast.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) support tech stocks with gains of more than 5% as the bellwether for the chip industry beat profit estimates.

As of Thursday’s close, 470 of the S&P 500 firms had reported earnings with 74% beating profit estimates and 70% topping sales, according to The Earnings Scout.

On Friday, Foot Locker (NYSE:FL), Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) and Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL) were among firms scheduled to report before the opening bell.

On the economic front, investors will focus on the preliminary reading for August of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index at 10:00AM ET (14:00GMT).

Oil bounced off three-week lows on Friday but remained on track for weekly losses of more than 3% as investors attempted to balance a broad-based sell off with signs that crude supplies may be gradually tightening.

On the bearish side, market players have recently registered OPEC’s difficulties in holding to their production cut agreement as those members exempt from the reduction accord such as Libya or Nigeria continue to increase output. Recent data on overall compliance hit its lowest percentage this year.

On the other hand, despite a 13% jump in production since mid-2016 to 9.5 million bpd, the country's commercial crude inventories have fallen 13% from their March records to below 2016 levels, according to Reuters.

Markets are also keeping a close eye on the ramp up in U.S. shale production.

Baker Hughes will its most recent weekly rig count data later on Friday.

U.S. crude futures gained 0.23% to $47.20 by 6:52AM ET (10:52GMT), while Brent oil rose 0.16% to $51.11.

Elsewhere, European shares were lower on Friday as airlines and other travel industry stocks were hit by worries over the terrorist attacks in Spain.

Earlier, stock markets in Asia ended mostly lower on Friday as equities followed the risk-off scenario set in motion by Wall Street. The Nikkei closed with losses of 1.2%.

Investing.com – India stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the IT, Technology and Healthcare sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NSE, the Nifty 50 declined 0.67%, while the BSE Sensex 30 index fell 0.85%.

The best performers of the session on the Nifty 50 were Bharti Infratel Ltd (NS:BHRI), which rose 4.20% or 15.95 points to trade at 395.30 at the close. Meanwhile, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (NS:HLL) added 2.12% or 24.90 points to end at 1202.20 and UltraTech Cement Ltd (NS:ULTC) was up 2.07% or 81.45 points to 4014.35 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Infosys Ltd (NS:INFY), which fell 9.56% or 97.60 points to trade at 923.25 at the close. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NS:SUN) declined 3.71% or 18.10 points to end at 470.15 and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (NS:ZEE) was down 2.88% or 15.15 points to 511.60.

The top performers on the BSE Sensex 30 were Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (BO:HLL) which rose 2.23% to 1200.90, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (BO:PGRD) which was up 1.85% to settle at 223.50 and Gail (India) Ltd. (BO:GAIL) which gained 1.83% to close at 381.80.

The worst performers were Infosys Ltd (BO:INFY) which was down 9.60% to 923.10 in late trade, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (BO:SUN) which lost 3.81% to settle at 470.00 and NTPC Ltd (BO:NTPC) which was down 2.01% to 173.30 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the India National Stock Exchange by 991 to 550 and 15 ended unchanged; on the Bombay Stock Exchange, 1513 fell and 966 advanced, while 107 ended unchanged.

Shares in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (NS:HLL) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.12% or 24.90 to 1202.20. Shares in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (BO:HLL) rose to all time highs; gaining 2.23% or 26.25 to 1200.90.

The India VIX, which measures the implied volatility of Nifty 50 options, was up 1.60% to 14.5700.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.62% or 8.04 to $1300.44 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 0.30% or 0.14 to hit $47.23 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 0.22% or 0.11 to trade at $51.14 a barrel.

USD/INR was down 0.14% to 64.125, while EUR/INR rose 0.11% to 75.3100.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.21% at 93.44.

Investing.com - The dollar pushed lower against the other major currencies on Friday, as investors remained cautious following a terrorist attack in Spain and as U.S. political tensions continued to dampen demand for the greenback.

Sentiment on the greenback remained vulnerable after eight chief executives quit two business advisory councils on Wednesday, in protest over U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on weekend violence in Virginia.

The U.S. President reacted to the departures by disbanding the councils – the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum.

White House Economic Adviser Gary Cohn denied rumors of his possible departure late Thursday. However, growing opposition to Trump’s positions, including from within his own party, have fueled concerns over the administration’s ability to implement its political agenda.

The dollar was also under pressure after the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s July policy meeting released on Wednesday showed that members of the central bank remain divided over the need to raise interest rates further this year, citing low inflation.

The yen and Swiss franc were higher, with USD/JPY down 0.48% at 109.05 and with USD/CHF slid 0.25% to trade at 0.9607.

Demand for the safe-haven currencies strengthened after a van rammed into pedestrians in a crowded tourist area of Barcelona on Thursday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring 100 others.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident. S

Shortly after, a second attack was perpetrated in Cambrils, a coastal town south of Barcelona, where police said they killed five attackers.

EUR/USD rose 0.30% to 1.1759, off the previous session’s three-week low of 1.1662, while GBP/USD gained 0.26% to 1.2901.

The Australian and New Zealand dollars were stronger, with AUD/USD up 0.49% at 0.7924 and with NZD/USD climbing 0.58% to 0.7325.

Meanwhile, USD/CAD shed 0.28% to trade at 1.2644.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.27% at 93.39.

Investing.com – Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Trading, Marine Transport and Mining sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.18% to hit a new 3-months low.

The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (T:2502), which rose 1.56% or 72.0 points to trade at 4676.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Unitika, Ltd. (T:3103) added 1.22% or 1.0 points to end at 83.0 and Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. (T:5202) was up 1.08% or 9.0 points to 839.0 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Fujikura Ltd. (T:5803), which fell 3.98% or 37.0 points to trade at 893.0 at the close. Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (T:6503) declined 3.69% or 63.0 points to end at 1643.0 and NKSJ Holdings, Inc. (T:8630) was down 3.35% or 145.0 points to 4180.0.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2613 to 639 and 213 ended unchanged.

The Nikkei Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Nikkei 225 options, was down 2.41% to 14.98.

Crude oil for September delivery was up 0.30% or 0.14 to $47.23 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 0.20% or 0.10 to hit $51.13 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.50% or 6.42 to trade at $1298.82 a troy ounce.

USD/JPY was down 0.45% to 109.09, while EUR/JPY fell 0.30% to 128.06.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.20% at 93.45.

Investing.com - Gold prices moved higher on Friday, hovering close to a recent two-month peak, after a terrorist attack in Spain boosted demand for safe-haven assets.

Comex gold futures were up around $1.95, or about 0.14%, to $1,293.12 a troy ounce by 3:00AM ET (0700GMT), not far from a two-month high of $1,298.10 reached late last week.

The precious mental found support after a van rammed into pedestrians in a crowded tourist area of Barcelona on Thursday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring 100 others.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident. Spanish police said that two men had been arrested so far.

Gold prices were also boosted by a weaker U.S. dollar, after eight chief executives quit two business advisory councils on Wednesday in protest over U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on weekend violence in Virginia.

The U.S. President reacted to the departures by disbanding the councils – the American Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum.

White House Economic Adviser Gary Cohn denied rumors of his possible departure late Thursday. However, growing opposition to Trump’s positions, including from within his own party, have fueled concerns over the administration’s ability to implement its political agenda.

The dollar also remained under pressure after the minutes of the Fed’s July policy meeting released on Wednesday showed that members of the central bank remain divided over the need to raise interest rates further this year, citing low inflation.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.11% at 93.54.

The precious metal is sensitive to moves in U.S. rates, which lift the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as bullion. A gradual path to higher rates is seen as less of a threat to gold prices than a swift series of increases.

Elsewhere on the Comex, silver futures slipped 0.2 cents, or around 0.13%, to $17.03 a troy ounce.

Investing.com – Taiwan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the , Glass and Paper&Pulp sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Taiwan, the Taiwan Weighted declined 0.46%.

The best performers of the session on the Taiwan Weighted were Young Optics Inc (TW:3504), which rose 10.00% or 5.00 points to trade at 55.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Sesoda Corp (TW:1708) added 9.95% or 2.85 points to end at 31.50 and Sun Race Sturmey-Archer Inc (TW:1526) was up 9.93% or 3.00 points to 33.20 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Green Seal Holding Ltd (TW:1262), which fell 7.91% or 6.80 points to trade at 79.20 at the close. Hiyes International Co Ltd (TW:2348) declined 6.37% or 2.05 points to end at 30.15 and Taimide Tech Inc (TW:3645) was down 5.95% or 2.70 points to 42.70.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Taiwan Stock Exchange by 526 to 260 and 91 ended unchanged.

Shares in Young Optics Inc (TW:3504) rose to 52-week highs; up 10.00% or 5.00 to 55.00. Shares in Sesoda Corp (TW:1708) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 9.95% or 2.85 to 31.50. Shares in Sun Race Sturmey-Archer Inc (TW:1526) rose to all time highs; rising 9.93% or 3.00 to 33.20.

Crude oil for September delivery was unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to $47.09 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in October rose 0.04% or 0.02 to hit $51.05 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.14% or 1.87 to trade at $1294.27 a troy ounce.

USD/TWD was up 0.09% to 30.335, while TWD/CNY rose 0.14% to 0.2209.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.16% at 93.49.

Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Metals&Mining, Financials and Industrials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.51%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Tatts Group Ltd (AX:TTS), which rose 4.23% or 0.170 points to trade at 4.190 at the close. Meanwhile, Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (AX:TAH) added 4.12% or 0.170 points to end at 4.300 and Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (AX:TWE) was up 3.40% or 0.440 points to 13.400 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were IPH Ltd (AX:IPH), which fell 3.44% or 0.160 points to trade at 4.490 at the close. Iress Ltd (AX:IRE) declined 3.52% or 0.435 points to end at 11.935 and Qbe Insurance Group Ltd (AX:QBE) was down 3.40% or 0.380 points to 10.790.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 621 to 493 and 380 ended unchanged.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 5.87% to 13.898.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.00% or 0.06 to $1292.34 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.08% or 0.04 to hit $47.05 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.12% or 0.06 to trade at $50.97 a barrel.

AUD/USD was up 0.10% to 0.7894, while AUD/JPY fell 0.08% to 86.34.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 93.56.