Markets Down On Disappointing Data

The last trading week was filled with important economic events and publications of macroeconomic statistical data, which influenced the situation in the stock and currency markets.

European stock markets finished the week rather optimistically, and by the end of the trading session, the British index, FTSE 100, and Germany's DAX, increased by 0,70% and the French CAC 40 added 0,79%. The regional indicator STXE 600 increased, in turn, by 0,60% and was closed at the highest level since January 2008 at 339,18 points, having added around 1,60% within a week.

At the same time, the situation in the US stock market was not as positive and finished in negative territory. Mainly, it was pushed down by weak statistics. The labor market data appeared to be worse than the consensus forecast. Last month 192 thousand jobs were created, against the expected 200 thousand. Additionally, the unemployment rate remained at 6,7% , although analysts predicted a drop to 6,6%.

As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0,96% and was closed on a level of 16412,71 points, the S&P 500 fell by 1,25% to the level of 1865,09 points, and the biggest loss of the day was obtained by Nasdaq Composite Index, which lost 2,60% and was closed on the level of 4127,73 points.

Commodities are also down this morning, Brent and WTI are losing 1,05% and 0,59% accordingly, traded on prices of $105,51 and $99,87 per barrel. Gold is down by 0,24% on the level of $1300,41 per troy ounce, and silver is traded on a price of $19,86 per troy ounce and is decreasing by 0,45%.

Among the interesting publications today which require attention, is the data on industrial production in Germany, which, in February, increased by 0,4%, against an expected 0,3%. The previous change was revised from 0,8% to 0,7%.