U.S. Stocks Rise Amid Earnings, Economic Data: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) --

U.S. stocks edged higher ahead of the holiday weekend as gains in industrial stocks slightly outweighed weakness in health-care and energy shares. The dollar advanced.

The S&P 500 Index pushed above 2,900 after data showed retail sales jumped by the most since September 2017 and unemployment claims fell. Pinterest Inc. and Zoom Video Communications Inc. both surged following initial public offerings. Blackstone Group LP rallied after saying it will convert to a corporation. Health insurers and hospitals halted a slide sparked by concern over medical policy.

The yield on 10-year Treasuries slipped, while the dollar strengthened against major peers. The euro fell following disappointing German and euro-area factory numbers. West Texas crude declined, while emerging-market stocks headed for their biggest decline in a week.

Equity investors remained cautious ahead of the three-day weekend for U.S. markets, with many assessing the long-awaited findings of the Special Counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Exchanges across Europe will also be shuttered on Monday. So far this week solid economic data out of China, optimistic signals from the trade talks and a decent start to the earnings season had not been enough to spur much risk appetite, particularly after policy concerns sank American healthcare stocks on Wednesday.

Here are some notable events coming up:

• A swathe of financial markets will close across the Western world for the Good Friday holiday, including in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

These are the main market moves:

Stocks

• The S&P 500 rose 0.2 percent to 2,905.07 at 4 p.m. in New York.
• The Nasdaq 100 added 0.1 percent.
• The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.2 percent.
• The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.6 percent.
• The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 0.3 percent.

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index gained 0.4 percent.
• The euro sank 0.6 percent to $1.12 on the largest decrease in almost four weeks.
• The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index dropped 0.2 percent.

Bonds

• The yield on two-year Treasuries fell two basis points to 2.38 percent.
• The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped three basis points to 2.56 percent.
• Germany’s 10-year yield lost six basis points to 0.025 percent.

Commodities

• Gold futures were flat at $1,276.80 an ounce.
• West Texas crude gained 0.3 percent to $64.05 a barrel.

--With assistance from Adam Haigh and Cormac Mullen.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd White in Madrid at twhite2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeremy Herron at jherron8@bloomberg.net;Samuel Potter at spotter33@bloomberg.net

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