In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere Japan’s Nikkei 225 is at 16254.45 for a loss of -0.44 points or 0.01 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is at 22146.09 for a gain of 313.86 or 1.44 percent. China’s Shanghai Composite is at 2976.70 for a loss of -5.73 points or -0.19 percent. India’s S&P BSE Sensex is at 28078.35 for a gain of 363.98 points or 1.31 percent. In Europe, the FTSE 100 is at 6762.44 for a gain of 22.28 points or 0.33 percent. Germany’s DAX is at 10258.02 for a gain of 30.16 points or 0.29 percent. France’s CAC 40 is at 4371.27 for a gain of 25.64 points or 0.59 percent. The Stoxx Europe 600 is at 338.95 for a gain of 1.11 points or 0.33 percent.
Friday’s Factors and Events
On Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report its July jobs report. The report will be an important indication of the economy’s direction. Projections for the report are modest. Economists are calling for an increase of 185,000 jobs however the range for job increases is between 150,000 and 215,000. The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 4.8 percent.
Other reports on the calendar for the day include: international trade, the Baker-Hughes Rig Count and Consumer Credit.
In the pre-market, stocks trading actively include the following: Activision Blizzard, First Solar Inc., Allergan, EMC, Leucadia National Corp. and Ford.
The earnings calendar for Friday is light with only approximately 45 companies reporting earnings for the day. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Report will be the main focus for the day. Also in the spotlight after the closing bell will be the Berkshire Hathaway earnings results and report from Warren Buffett.
Thursday’s Activity
On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 18352.05 for a loss of -2.95 points or -0.02 percent. The S&P 500 gained, closing at 2164.25 for a gain of 0.46 points or 0.02 percent. The Nasdaq Composite closed higher at 5166.25 for a gain of 6.51 points or 0.13 percent.
Other notable indexes in the U.S. included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index, higher at 1213.76 for a gain of 1.03 points or 0.08 percent; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closing at 736.86 for a gain of 0.34 points or 0.05 percent; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closing at 1546.97 for a gain of 0.33 points or 0.02 percent; the S&P 100 Index closing at 958.94 for a gain of 0.11 points or 0.01 percent; the Russell 3000 Index closing at 1278.37 for a gain of 0.40 points or 0.03 percent; the Russell 1000 Index closing at 1198.95 for a gain of 0.32 points or 0.03 percent; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index closing at 618.03 for a loss of -0.04 points or -0.01 percent.
