© REUTERS
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Source: BELGIAN
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Stock markets in New York closed lower on Thursday. As a result, the year-end rally was not followed up. In the quiet stock market days between Christmas and the New Year, stock market indicators usually show an upward trend. Cruise companies have been under pressure on Wall Street as US authorities advise against staying on cruise ships because the coronavirus can spread quickly on board.
The leading Dow Jones index closed 0.3 percent lower at 36,398.08 points. The broad S&P 500 fell 0.3 percent from its record close to 4,778.73 points and tech gauge Nasdaq lost 0.2 percent to 15,741.56 points. On New Year’s Eve, Wall Street is still trading all day long.
Cruise ship operators Carnival, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line lost up to 2.6 percent. The US health service CDC recommends avoiding cruise ships, regardless of whether someone has been vaccinated.
Tesla lost 1.5 percent. The electric car maker has recalled more than 475,000 vehicles in the United States. That number is about the same as the total number of vehicles the company delivered last year. On the Model 3, the rear view camera wiring harness can be damaged by opening and closing the trunk. On Model S, the hood can open unexpectedly due to a faulty latch.
The Chinese taxi service Didi, which is listed in New York, gained 5.9 percent. The company announced a loss of $4.7 billion in the third quarter. The stock fell 8 percent on Wednesday.
Investors also processed new data on the US labor market. Weekly US unemployment benefit claims fell unexpectedly last week.
The euro was worth $1.1317, against $1.1324 at the close of the European stock markets. The price of a barrel of American oil fell a fraction to $ 76.54. Brent oil cost 0.1 percent more at $79.30 a barrel.
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