Strong demand for technology stocks lifted equity indexes around the world on Thursday and oil prices edged down on reports of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz while investors awaited the outcome of a high-stakes US-China summit.
Oil prices fell slightly after Iran’s state media said about 30 vessels had crossed the Strait of Hormuz while the semi-official Fars news agency cited a source saying Iran had begun allowing transit for some Chinese vessels.
US crude fell 0.27 per cent to $100.75 a barrel and Brent fell to $105.07 per barrel, down 0.54 per cent on the day.
Dublin
Euronext Dublin finished the day up 0.4 per cent, but Ryanair continued its recent woes despite the downturn in oil prices as the crisis in the Middle East rumbled on.
RM Block
The airline finished down 1.6 per cent on the day to trade at €22.46. The company is down 12.2 per cent in the past month and down 24 per cent in the year to date.
It was a good day for the home builders even with rising inflation expected to further elevate costs for builders. Cairn Homes and Glenveagh Properties climbed 2.6 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively. Cavan-based insulation specialist Kingspan rose 1.6 per cent.
The food names also finished the day in the green with Kerry Group up 1.2 per cent, while Glanbia soared 3.4 per cent as it continued its €50 million share buyback.
The banks were muted enough with Bank of Ireland up 1 per cent and AIB up 0.1 per cent.
London
UK shares edged up as strong first-quarter economic growth offered some respite to investors shaken by escalating political uncertainty in the country.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended 0.46 per cent higher, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 1.33 per cent.
Legal and General rose 6.2 per cent and was among the top percentage gainers on the FTSE 100, after the Financial Times reported possible buying interest was building in the company.
Auto stocks advanced 3.2 per cent, outweighing a 3 per cent slide in the investment banking index, dragged by a 12.8 per cent decline in 3i Group. The investment firm’s stock hit its lowest since 2023 amid a slowdown at discount retailer Action, its key portfolio company.
Europe
Many European investors were off for the Ascension Day holiday on Thursday, but Germany’s 10-year government bond yield fell.
Its 10-year yield, the benchmark for the euro zone, was down 5 basis points at 3.04 per cent, having risen more than 40 basis points since the outbreak of the conflict. It remained close to the 3.133 per cent level touched at the end of April, the highest since mid-2011.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Cac 40 in Paris ended up 0.9 per cent, and the Dax 40 in Frankfurt advanced 1.3 per cent. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.72 per cent.
The euro traded lower against the greenback, at $1.1677 on Thursday, from $1.1715 on Wednesday.
New York
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.8 per cent, the S&P 500 rose 0.9 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite was 1 per cent higher.
A revival of the artificial-intelligence trade kept fuelling momentum in stocks, with the market also rising after retail sales showed signs of consumer strength despite a war-driven surge in energy costs.
The advance in equities sent the S&P 500 toward a record, led by gains in chipmakers. Nvidia climbed for a seventh straight day.
A solid outlook from Cisco Systems sent the shares up 15 per cent – the most since 2011. Ford Motor extended a surge driven by enthusiasm around firms that stand to benefit from power-hungry data centres. (Additional reporting: Agencies)
