The Paris Bourse closes this penultimate session of the year up slightly, while Wall Street continues its race to new heights. The surprise contraction in jobless claims in the United States indeed reinforces other reassuring indicators for the American economy. According to the Labor Department, initial claims for allowances fell from 8,000 to 198,000 for the week to Dec. 24, where the Bloomberg consensus expected 206,000.
This Thursday, the Cac 40 rose 0.16% to 7,173.23 points, around 20 points from its new record yesterday, to just over 7,200 points. The session was once again very calm, with a volume of only 1.9 billion euros (against an average of 3.4 billion over the year).
The Paris index, up just over 1% over the week, bringing its gain over the year to 29.2%, ended the year in style. The fact that Omicron causes milder symptoms than other forms of Covid reassures scholars, relieved that authorities in the world’s largest economies have not had to institute new lockdowns or curfews.
According to a South African study published today, a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is 84% effective in preventing hospitalizations among healthcare workers in the country infected with Omicron.
Anthony Fauci, the main medical adviser to the White House, meanwhile said on Wednesday that the outbreak of contaminations in the United States should have reached its peak at the end of January.
“Lower severity of Omicron infections and shorter isolation period recommended by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are in line with our forecast for a gradual easing of tensions on supply chains in early 2022 ”Citigroup strategist Scott Chronert said in a note cited by Reuters.
Japanese Nikkei up just 5%
In Frankfurt, the Dax 40 finished with a slight gain of 0.21%. It closed the year up 13%. The German Stock Exchange, like those in Tokyo, Seoul, Madrid, Milan, Zurich, Oslo and Stockholm, will keep their doors closed tomorrow. The OMX 30 in Sweden, which has already finished its year, shows a gain of 29.07% over 2021, a little less than the Cac 40.
The Euronext markets in Paris, Amsterdam (where AEX gained 28% over the year), Brussels and Lisbon will open tomorrow for a shortened session; they will close their doors at 2:05 pm. Dublin will close at 1:30 p.m., like the London Stock Exchange. In contrast, Wall Street will have a full session on Friday.
The S&P 500 is currently gaining just under 28% over the year. The Tokyo Stock Exchange Nikkei rose just 5%, one of the weakest gains globally. The MSCI World index of developed countries, by way of comparison, is up 20%. The plunge of Fast Retailing, owner of Uniqlo, and Softbank held back the increase. Contrary to what happened with the Cac 40, driven by luxury, heavy goods vehicles were a weight rather than an engine.