US stocks advanced on Monday as investors deemed Friday's deadly attacks in Paris would have limited economic impact worldwide. All three main indexes opened lower but finished in positive territory. Live dollar index data showed the ICE US Dollar index, a measure of the dollar’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.2% to 99.3870. The S&P 500 gained 1.5%, snapping a three-session losing streak with all ten main sectors closing higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite rose 1.4% and 1.2% respectively. Travel related stocks sold off amid concerns that tourism will fall after terrorist attacks. Shares in Delta Air Lines Inc (N:DAL) ended lower 2.2%, Expedia Inc (O:EXPE) fell 2.1% and Priceline Group Inc. (O:PCLN) lost 2.4%. Marriot International Inc. (O:MAR) shares rose 1.4% after the company announced it would pay $12.2 billion to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (N:HOT), creating the world’s biggest hotel company. Energy stocks advanced as oil closed higher, with Cabot Oil & Gas Corp (N:COG) and Consol Energy Inc (N:CNX) rallying 8.8% and 7.6% respectively. Manufacturing in the New York region declined with the Empire State manufacturing index for November posting a reading below negative 10 for the fourth straight month. Today at 14:30 CET, October inflation data will be released in US. The tentative outlook is positive. At 15:15 CET, October Manufacturing and Industrial Production will be published. The tentative outlook is positive. At 16:00 CET, National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index for October will be released. The tentative outlook is neutral. At 21:30 CET, Fed's Tarullo speaks on shadow banking at Brookings Institute.
European stocks ended mostly higher on Monday as gains in the energy sector offset a slump in travel stocks following Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. The euro weakened on expectations that the European Central Bank will have to expand the monetary stimulus program and investors sought the safety of the US dollar and Japanese yen. The Stoxx Europe 600 index edged up 0.3% while France's CAC lost only 0.12%. The travel and leisure sector was hit hard with the stocks in STOXX 600 Travel and Leisure index losing around 2.3 billion euros ($2.46 billion) in market capitalization amid fears that tourism would fall on safety concerns. Eurostat report indicated inflation in the euro-zone rose 0.1% in October. Today at 11:00 CET October ZEW Survey results will be released in euro-zone. The tentative outlook is positive. At 10:30 CET October inflation data will be published in UK. The tentative outlook is positive.
Nikkei closed 1.2% higher today as yen weakened against the dollar on receding risk aversion. Exporters advanced with Toyota Motor Corp (OTC:TOYOF) gaining 1.9%, Tokyo Electron (OTC:TOELY) surging 2.7% and Fanuc Corp. (T:6954) rallying 3.7%.
Oil futures prices are edging lower today after closing higher on Monday on rising geopolitical tensions as France carried airstrikes in Syria and news that Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries crude output declined for third consecutive month. Platts survey indicated OPEC oil production in October fell by 120,000 barrels a day from a month earlier led by output drops in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. However, analysts point to seasonality and adverse weather factors as reasons for OPEC decline, and no change in cartel’s strategy of keeping up production to defend its oil market share.
Gold futures prices are falling today as investors shifted their focus back to a potential rate hike by the Fed in December.