The Dow Jones industrial average was 0.1% lower. Shares rose 61 cents, or 6.1%, to $10.55.
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A man cycle pasts an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.
USA stock-index futures rose, signaling a rebound after equities fell the most in more than a week, amid better-than-forecast profits at Macy’s Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. The S&P retail index rose 0.3 percent. Asian shares rose Friday, .
For the first time since December 31, 1999 – the day before the dotcom bubble burst – three major stock markets all closed at record highs on the same day. Banking, health care and technology companies also declined, while consumer-focused stocks and phone companies posted gains.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 118 points or 0.6 percent to 18,614.
The S&P 500 posted 34 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 97 new highs and 29 new lows. The tech-laden Nasdaq Composite Index closed at 5,204.59 losing 0.4%. Investors welcomed the latest quarterly results from several big department store chains and other companies. Those declines were offset by big increases in auto sales and on online and catalog sales.
The data follows a set of robust labor market reports including last week’s monthly payrolls numbers.
The TSX’s metals and mining sector lost 2.65 per cent, while base metals stocks lost 2.62 per cent.
Gold prices were climbing higher on weaker than expected economic data. Yahoo, which owns a stake in Alibaba, rose 3.4 percent.
A number of companies have also reported disappointing drops.
The other catalysts in Thursday’s stock gains were favorable retail earnings. The chain is scheduled to release earnings early Friday. J.C. Penney rose 85 cents, or 9.3 percent, to $10. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.2 percent after a report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors showed house price growth was at its lowest in three years following Britain’s vote to exit the European Union.
Still, overall earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are expected to be down 2.2 percent for the second quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. It gained $1.99, or 4.3 percent, to close at $46.04 a barrel in London.
In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher on Friday on the heels of the overnight strength on Wall Street.
OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 7 cents to $41.66 after closing at $41.71 a barrel in New York Wednesday. Brent crude, used to price worldwide oils, was up 45 cents, or 1 percent, at $46.49 a barrel in London.
BONDS AND CURRENCIES: Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.515% from 1.575% Thursday.
CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 102.04 yen from 101.86 on Thursday.
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West Texas Intermediate for September delivery rose $1.78 to settle at $43.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
