Last week was the final trading session for the month and Q1. It was a mostly positive affair for the world’s major stock markets with all the major markets closing higher except for the Nikkei.
In Europe over the course of the week, the FTSE was up on last week’s close by 0.99% at 7279.2, ending the month up by 2.4%; the Dax ended at 11526, 1.4% up on last week’s close, but ending March down by 0.66%; the CAC was up by 1.5% to end the session at 5350.5, making 1.6% on the month.
The Dow ended the week up by 1.7% to close at 25929, but it slipped by 0.37 over the month. The Nasdaq composite index was up by 1.1% over the course of the week at 7729.3, making 1.8% in March.
The Nikkei 225 ended the week’s trading down by 2% to end the session at 21206 and it fell by 1.8% over the month.
On the currency markets last week, the Dollar enjoyed the best of the trading. The Dollar was stronger against Sterling last week closing at $1.3034 to the Pound, a gain of 1.4% on the week and the month. The Greenback was stronger against the Euro last week, rising by 0.47% to close at $1.1229 to the Euro, it made 1.3% in March.
The Dollar strengthened against the Japanese currency closing at 110.7 Yen to the Dollar, making a gain of 0.82% during the week, but slipping by 1.1% over the month.
The Euro was stronger against the Yen ending at 124.3, a gain of 0.35% over the course of the week, but it lost 2.3% in March. It was stronger against Sterling last week, the close saw one £ buying €1.1607, a gain of 0.89% on the week, ending the month up by 0.13%.
The Euro now buys 1.1188 CHF, a gain of 0.24% on the week and 1.5% over the month.
On the commodities market, the price for Brent crude ended at $67.58 per barrel, a rise of 0.82% over the course of the week’s trading and 3.9% in March. The value of gold was lower last week closing at $1290.8 per ounce, a fall of 1.2% on the week, but only a dip of 0.06% over the month.
The data that supports this article is drawn from Bloomberg, The Financial Times and X-rates.