Micron Associates: HeadLINES

Manufacturing numbers from the US, China and Germany expected the renewing optimism for the global economic outlook and encouraging investors to take on risk. Early in the afternoon trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.16 percent, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.24 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.32 percent. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 Index wrecked the session with a 2 percent increase. The euro also gained, strengthening 0.8 percent to US$1.3194 and 0.7 percent to 100.52 yen. An index of the US manufacturing sector rose in January to its maximum level since June, while China’s factory sector unexpectedly stretched out. In Europe, Germany posted its first increase in http://micronassociates.org/news/ manufacturing output in four months while a UK manufacturing gauge climbed to an eight-month high.