Global shares post best week since mid-2013 on earnings boost

 

Global equity markets rose on Friday after strong corporate results from Microsoft and Procter & Gamble and reduced concerns over the possible spread of Ebola boosted US shares and kept safe-haven US Treasuries prices stable.

MSCI's all-country world equity index rose 3.1 per cent for the week, marking its biggest weekly percentage gain since July 2013, while the benchmark US S&P 500 was up 5.5 per cent from its low on October 15 and notched its best weekly gain in almost two years. Solid US corporate results bolstered shares over the week.

News late on Thursday of the first person to test positive for Ebola in New York City weighed on European shares, and while the scare initially held back buying in the United States, US investors later shook off those concerns.

"Ebola is something you want to keep an eye on, but the probability of widespread infection is pretty small, and I think that's what the market believes," said Scott Wren, senior equity strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors in St Louis.

"Stocks were oversold. Investors were over-worried about global growth, they were over-worried about Ebola," he added on reasons for the stock market rally over the week.

Corporate earnings were mixed. Microsoft and Procter & Gamble rose following their quarterly results, offsetting a plunge in Amazon after the online retailer reported an earnings miss. Microsoft shares closed up 2.5 per cent at $46.13, while Amazon shares closed down 8.3 per cent at $287.06.

The euro rose against the dollar on the view that a weekend update on the euro zone banking sector's financial health would not reveal too many problems at the region's top banks. As of the end of 2013, 25 banks failed the European stress tests, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

MSCI's all-country world equity index was last up 0.45 per cent, to 409.23. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed down 0.34 per cent at 1,312.74. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 0.76 per cent at 16,805.41, while the S&P 500 closed up 0.71 per cent at 1,964.58. The Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.69 per cent at 4,483.72.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback versus a basket of six currencies, fell 0.14 per cent to 85.721. US 10-year Treasury notes were last up 3/32 in price to yield 2.2658 per cent.

Brent oil prices fell but were little changed on the week, while US crude oil futures continued to slide. Brent crude LCOc1 settled at $86.13 a barrel, down 70 cents for the day, while US crude CLc1 settled down $1.08 at $81.01 a barrel.