Market Buzz: Lack of optimism hampers trades

20 Apr, 2012 05:51 / Updated 13 years ago

Russian stocks are likely to prove sensitive to the negative background on foreign markets, while the downward trend remains.

US shares fell Thursday for a second day in a row as jobless claims surged around a four-month high. Europe’s debt worries also contributed to the decline.The Dow Jones fell 0.5%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.6%. The Nasdaq shed 0.8% as Apple Inc. , its biggest stock, lost 3.4%.European markets ended low on Thursday weighed down by sinking Spanish stocks, while disappointing US jobless-claims data also stimulated selling. The Stoxx Europe 600 closed 0.5% after a choppy session. The Spanish 10-year bonds auction saw solid demand despite growing borrowing costs.The French CAC 40 gave up 2.1% amid rumors—later denied—that Fitch Ratings may cut France’s sovereign rating. Germany’s DAX 30 fell 0.9%.Russian markets traded mostly higher on Thursday, supported by rising oil prices and news from China, that the country plans new measures to support its economy. The MICEX grew 0.91% and the RTS rose 1.66%.Asian shares traded lower on Friday as the US floors closed mainly in red.The Japanese Nikkei Stock declined 0.5%, South Korea’s Kospi  dropped 1.3%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index  slipped 0.1%.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.5%, and the Shanghai Composite  lost 0.2%.