FTSE Indexes Mixed as Market Reacts to Global Economic Data

In Europe, market indexes were mixed Friday. The FTSE 100 closed at 6,125.70 for a gain of 8.45 points or 0.14 percent. The FTSE 250 closed at 16,648.76 for a loss of -12.94 points or -0.08 percent.

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Source: FTSE 100 and FTSE 250. Google Finance.

Market indexes were mixed as the market valued in the lower report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. which showed the increase in jobs for the month of April at 160,000. April’s report was below consensus of 200,000 and the unemployment remained unchanged at 5.0 percent. The weaker trading day signified the concerns over global economic indicators and the potential slowdown that could be occurring.

Randgold Resources, Fresnillo, BAE Systems and Direct Line Insurance all posted gains for the day as gold prices and momentum from the week helped to boost stocks. Satellite communications company Inmarsat and metals and mining companies were lower. Glencore, Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, Antofagasta and BHP Billiton were all lower.

Data from IFA magazine, reported the following stocks leading gains in the U.K. for Thursday.

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,050.00p 4.58 percent

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,074.00p 3.37 percent

Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 2,948.00p 1.76 percent

Compass Group (CPG) 1,240.00p 1.47 percent

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 639.00p 1.43 percent

Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 377.20p 1.34 percent

SSE (SSE) 1,494.00p 1.22 percent

Barratt Developments (BDEV) 528.00p 1.15 percent

Merlin Entertainments (MERL) 432.20p 1.12 percent

British Land Company (BLND) 727.00p 1.11 percent

In other European markets, France’s CAC 40 closed at 4,301.24 for a loss of -18.22 points or -0.42 percent. Germany’s DAX closed at 9,869.95 for a loss of 18.09 points or 0.18 percent.

In Asia, China’s Shanghai Composite closed at 2,913.25 for a loss of -84.59 points or -2.82 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed at 20,109.87 for a loss of -339.95 points or -1.66 percent. The S & P BSE Sensex closed at 25,228.50 for a loss of -33.71 points or -0.13 percent.

In the U.S., markets followed the eastern hemisphere’s lead with stocks mixed on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 17,740.50 for a gain of 79.79 points or 0.45 percent. The S&P 500 was also higher, closing at 2,057.14 for a gain of 6.51 points or 0.32 percent. The Nasdaq Composite was at 4,736.16 for a gain of 19.06 points or 0.40 percent.