Major US stock indexes finished the session near the zero mark amid a decline in investor activity on the eve of the New Year.

A certain influence on the course of trading was provided by the US data. As it became known, the index of consumer confidence from the Conference Board fell in December after a slight improvement in November. The index is now 122.1 (1985 = 100), compared with 128.6 in November. The index of the current situation increased from 154.9 to 156.6, and the index of expectations fell from 111.0 last month to 99.1 this month.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that unfinished transactions for the sale of housing in November rose by 0.2%. The index of unfinished transactions for the sale of housing from the NAR tracks transactions with real estate, in which the contract is signed, but the transaction is not yet closed. The November growth was much better than the consensus forecast of economists, who expected a decrease of 0.5%. The index was 109.5, where 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity in 2001. This is 0.8% higher than a year ago.

Components of the DOW index showed mixed dynamics (15 in positive territory, 15 in negative territory). Leader of growth were shares of Visa Inc. (V, + 0.91%). Outsider were the shares of NIKE, Inc. NKE, -1.10%).

Most sectors of the S & P index finished trading in the red. The largest decrease was shown by the sector of conglomerates (-0.6%). The utilities sector grew most (+ 0.4%).

At closing:

DJIA + 0.11% 24.774.16 +27.95

Nasdaq + 0.04% 6,939.34 +3.09

S & P + 0.08% 2.682.59 +2.09

Pending home sales were mostly unmoved in November, but did squeak out a minor gain both on a monthly and annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. Heading into 2018, existing-home sales and price growth are forecast to slow, primarily because of the altered tax benefits of homeownership affecting some high-cost areas.

The Pending Home Sales Index,, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 0.2 percent to 109.5 in November from 109.3 in October. With last month's modest increase, the index remains at its highest reading since June (110.0), and is now 0.8 percent above a year ago.

U.S. stock-index futures were slightly higher on Wednesday, supported by a surge in commodity prices. Overall, the situation in the market remains rather calm, reminding investors that the week between Christmas and New Year's Day tends to be the slowest in terms of trading activity.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei 22,911.21 +18.52 +0.08%

Hang Seng 29,597.66 +19.65 +0.07%

Shanghai 3,275.40 -30.73 -0.93%

S&P/ASX 6,069.90 +0.20 0.00%

FTSE 7,611.59 +18.93 +0.25%

CAC 5,366.77 +2.05 +0.04%

DAX 13,062.82 -9.97 -0.08%

Crude $59.45 (-0.87%)

Gold $1,288.30 (+0.06%)

Wall Street. Stocks before the bell

(company / ticker / price / change ($/%) / volume)

EUR/USD: 1.1800 (213m), 1.1850-55 (387m), 1.1900 (782m)

USD/JPY: 111.50 (1.0bn), 111.90 (300m), 112.50 (216m), 113.00 (2.9bn), 113.50 (280m)

GBP/USD: 1.3325 (325m), 1.3360-70 (358m), 1.3380-85 (238m)

The consumption indicator fell slightly in November, to 1.67 from 1.68 points. Values from previous months were revised upward by a significant margin in response to surprisingly strong summertime growth in overnight stays. New car registrations gained 1.3% in November, slightly below the average established in previous months.

Looking ahead to 2018, UBS Chief Investment Office Wealth Management expects consumption to grow 1.3%. Solid economic growth and moderately rising employment should continue to support private consumption. Rising inflation has, however, adversely affected real wage growth and, by extension, private consumption growth. Moreover, third-quarter employment growth still remains below the long-term average of 1.1%, only reaching 0.5%.

EUR/USD

Resistance levels (open interest**, contracts)

$1.1997 (2010)

$1.1965 (4000)

$1.1941 (616)

Price at time of writing this review: $1.1878

Support levels (open interest**, contracts):

$1.1838 (4994)

$1.1795 (4702)

$1.1748 (3665)

Comments:

- Overall open interest on the CALL options and PUT options with the expiration date January, 5 is 94705 contracts (according to data from December, 26) with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,2200 (5584);

GBP/USD

Resistance levels (open interest**, contracts)

$1.3489 (2597)

$1.3465 (2478)

$1.3433 (859)

Price at time of writing this review: $1.3378

Support levels (open interest**, contracts):

$1.3332 (2085)

$1.3291 (2829)

$1.3246 (2802)

Comments:

- Overall open interest on the CALL options with the expiration date January, 5 is 32925 contracts, with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,3500 (4720);

- Overall open interest on the PUT options with the expiration date January, 5 is 34233 contracts, with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,3300 (2829);

- The ratio of PUT/CALL was 1.04 versus 1.03 from the previous trading day according to data from December, 26

* - The Chicago Mercantile Exchange bulletin (CME) is used for the calculation.

** - Open interest takes into account the total number of option contracts that are open at the moment.

Asian indexes were mixed Wednesday in quiet holiday trading after oil prices erased some of its recent gains and the region generally shrugged off the dip in technology stocks on Wall Street.

U.S. stocks finished slightly lower Tuesday as a decline in Apple Inc. more than offset postholiday gains in the retail sector and a surge in crude-oil futures that took the commodity to a 2½-year high.

(raw materials / closing price /% change)

OIL 59.84 -0.22%

GOLD 1286.90 -0.05%

(index / closing price / change items /% change)

NIKKEI 22892.69 -46.49 -0.20%

SHANGHAI 3305.89 +25.43 +0.78%

KOSPI 2427.34 -13.20 -0.54%

DJIA 24,746.48 -7.58 -0.03%

Nasdaq 6,936.25 -23.71 -0.34%

S&P 2,680.50 -2.84 -0.11%

(pare/closed(GMT +3)/change, %)

EUR/USD $1,1857 -0,09%

GBP/USD $1,3373 +0,06%

USD/CHF Chf0,9893 +0,03%

USD/JPY Y113,22 -0,04%

EUR/JPY Y134,27 -0,01%

GBP/JPY Y151,42 +0,03%

AUD/USD $0,7727 +0,16%

NZD/USD $0,7038 +0,23%

USD/CAD C$1,2685 -0,28%

05:00 Japan Construction Orders, y/y November 6.7%

05:00 Japan Housing Starts, y/y November -4.8% -2.5%

07:00 Switzerland UBS Consumption Indicator November 1.54

09:00 Switzerland Credit Suisse ZEW Survey(Expectations) December 40.7

09:30 United Kingdom BBA Mortgage Approvals November 40.488 40.6

15:00 U.S. Pending Home Sales (MoM) November 3.5% -0.5%

15:00 U.S. Consumer confidence December 129.5 128

23:50 Japan Retail sales, y/y November -0.2% 1.2%

23:50 Japan Industrial Production (MoM) (Preliminary) November 0.5% 0.5%

23:50 Japan Industrial Production (YoY) (Preliminary) November 5.9% 6%