The market-wide S&P 500 initially climbed another record high on Friday, but was recently down 0.65 percent at 3698.26 meters. The Nasdaq 100 selection index initially hit a new high and then fell. Most recently, the technology-heavy index fell 0.51 percent to 12,687.54 points.
During the “Witches’ Sabbath” there could be higher trading volumes and possibly more abrupt price fluctuations than usual. At this expiration date for options and futures on stocks and indices, large market participants in particular sometimes try to drive the current prices to the prices at which they are exposed on the futures exchanges.
Fresh US economic data showed little influence on prices. For example, the United States widened its chronic current account deficit in the third quarter during the Corona crisis. The economic outlook in the USA improved somewhat more strongly than expected in November. The composite index of leading economic indicators rose by 0.6 percent compared to the previous month.
On the corporate side, the focus was on FedEx papers. The flourishing parcel shipping in the Corona crisis gave the logistics group an unexpectedly strong quarter. However, investors first cashed in – the papers fell by 5.0 percent, bringing up the rear in the S&P 100 index. However, the share price has more than doubled since the beginning of July.
The shares of the vaccine manufacturer Moderna recovered after initially significant losses and were most recently 0.2 percent in the red. The day before, they had benefited from expectations that an advisory group of the US drug agency FDA would give the green light for the corona vaccine from the US pharmaceutical company. These expectations were confirmed after the market closed. The vote was considered an important signal for an emergency approval of the corona vaccine by the FDA./edh/mis
(AWP)
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