Swiss Market Closes Modestly Higher

RTTNews | 91 days ago
Swiss Market Closes Modestly Higher

(RTTNews) - The Switzerland market ended modestly higher on Friday after a choppy ride as investors looked ahead to more interest rate cuts from central banks after the European Central Bank cut rates for the third time this year.

The benchmark SMI ended with a gain of 22.49 points or 0.18% at 12,326.76 after moving between 12,280.52 and 12,348.16.

Swatch Group climbed 2.2%. Straumann Holding, Adecco, Geberit and VAT Group ended up 1.4 to 1.6%. Logitech International, UBS Group and Julius Baer gained 1 to 1.1%.

Lindt & Spruengli, Richemont, Roche Holding, SIG Group, Partners Group, Kuehne + Nagel and Givaudan posted moderate gains.

Comet gained about 4.3%, riding on a 45.6% year-over-year surge in third-quarter net sales to 113.2 million francs. The company expects full-year 2024 net sales to be at the lower end of its 440 million francs to 480 million francs guidance range.

ABB drifted down 1.59%. SGS closed down 0.68%, while Sonova and Swiss Life Holding recorded modest losses.

read more
Rate Cut Hopes Boost European Stock Markets

Rate Cut Hopes Boost European Stock Markets

Optimism over interest rate cuts had traders in a happy mood on Friday as the major European stock markets finished solidly to the upside, extending recent gains.
RTTNews | 5h 26min ago
U.S. Housing Starts Skyrocket To Ten-Month High In December

U.S. Housing Starts Skyrocket To Ten-Month High In December

A report released by the Commerce Department on Friday showed new residential construction in the U.S. surged by much more than anticipated in the month of December. The Commerce Department said housing starts soared by 15.8 percent to an annual rate of 1.499 million in December after tumbling by 3.7 percent to a revised rate of 1.294 million in November.
RTTNews | 9h 45min ago
UK Retail Sales Drop Unexpectedly On Weak Food Store Sales

UK Retail Sales Drop Unexpectedly On Weak Food Store Sales

UK retail sales declined unexpectedly in December despite the festive season as food sales logged its worst performance since 2013, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Friday. Retail sales volume decreased 0.3 percent on a monthly basis in December, in contrast to the revised 0.1 percent gain in November. The decline confounded expectations for an increase of 0.4 percent.
RTTNews | 11h 23min ago