Major US stock indices rose slightly on Thursday, helped by the rise in the price of the basic resources sector and the utilities sector.

The focus was also on the United States data. As it became known today, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained unchanged last week, remaining near historically low levels as the end of 2017 approaches. Initial applications for unemployment benefits, the indicator of layoffs for all US states, amounted to 245,000, seasonally adjusted for the week ended December 23, unchanged from the previous week, the Labor Ministry reported on Thursday. Economists last week expected 240,000 new applications.

At the same time, Chicago purchasing managers' index rose to 67.6 in December, compared with 63.9 in November, finishing the year at the highest level since March 2011. In the quarterly measurement, the index rose to 65.9 in the fourth quarter from 61.0 in the third quarter, marking the best quarterly figures from the 1st quarter of 2011, with only the second time in the last decade three consecutive readings above 60 for the period October to December .

Most components of the DOW index recorded a rise (19 out of 30). The leader of growth was UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH, + 0.95%). Outsider - The Coca-Cola Company (KO, -0.54%).

Most sectors of the S & P index finished trading in positive territory. The base resources sector grew most (+ 0.4%). The largest decrease was shown by the conglomerate sector (-0.2%).

At closing:

DJIA + 0.26% 24,837.51 +63.21

Nasdaq + 0.16% 6.950.16 +10.82

S & P + 0.18% 2,687.54 +4.92

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 4.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 431.9 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are in the middle of the average range for this time of year.

Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 0.6 million barrels last week, and are above the upper limit of the average range. Finished gasoline inventories decreased while blending components inventories increased last week.

Distillate fuel inventories increased by 1.1 million barrels last week and are in the middle of the average range for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased by 2.7 million barrels last week, but are in the middle of the average range. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 8.8 million barrels last week.

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer rose to 67.6 in December, up from 63.9 in November, closing the year at the highest level since March 2011. On a calendar quarter basis, the Barometer rose to 65.9 in Q4 from 61.0 in Q3, the best quarterly performance since Q1 2011, only the second time in the last decade there have been three consecutive above-60 readings in the Oct-Dec period

The international trade deficit was $69.7 billion in November, up $1.6 billion from $68.1 billion in October. Exports of goods for November were $133.7 billion, $3.8 billion more than October exports. Imports of goods for November were $203.4 billion, $5.4 billion more than October imports.

Wholesale inventories for November, adjusted for seasonal variations but not for price changes, were estimated at an end-of-month level of $610.2 billion, up 0.7 percent from October 2017, and were up 3.8 percent (±0.7 percent) from November 2016. The September 2017 to October 2017 percentage change was revised from down 0.5 percent (±0.4 percent) to down 0.4 percent.

In the week ending December 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 245,000, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised level of 245,000. The 4-week moving average was 237,750, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 236,000.

U.S. stock-index futures were slightly higher on Thursday, helped by a rally in commodities and a weaker dollar.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei 22,783.98 -127.23 -0.56%

Hang Seng 29,863.71 +266.05 +0.90%

Shanghai 3,297.21 +21.42 +0.65%

S&P/ASX 6,088.10 +18.20 +0.30%

FTSE 7,629.54 +8.86 +0.12%

CAC 5,362.02 -6.82 -0.13%

DAX 13,054.06 -15.96 -0.12%

Crude $59.67 (+0.05%)

Gold $1,294.10 (+0.21%)

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

Starbucks (SBUX) initiated with a Buy at Tigress Financial

EUR/USD: 1.1800 (1.1 b)

GBP/USD: 1.3425 (274 m), 1.3500 (825 m)

USD/JPY: 112.00 (517 m), 112.50 (435 m), 113.00 (1.8 b), 113.50 (3.5 b)

Mortgage activity has been building through the year, helped by increasing numbers of first-time buyers. We estimate gross mortgage lending in November was £23.1 billion, 9 per cent higher than a year earlier, with 60 per cent of all new lending provided by High Street banks.

Credit card spending increased in November, raising the annual growth in outstanding credit to 7.5 per cent. This growth reflects how cards are increasingly becoming consumers' preferred way of borrowing, rather than personal loans or overdrafts.

Business borrowing has continued to moderate through 2017, with the major sectors of manufacturing, wholesale and retail business showing only modest annual growth, while construction and property-related sectors have contracted their bank borrowing over the year.

EUR/USD

Resistance levels (open interest**, contracts)

$1.2000 (3735)

$1.1983 (3999)

$1.1969 (616)

Price at time of writing this review: $1.1931

Support levels (open interest**, contracts):

$1.1886 (3887)

$1.1844 (4835)

$1.1797 (4665)

Comments:

- Overall open interest on the CALL options and PUT options with the expiration date January, 5 is 95115 contracts (according to data from December, 27) with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,2200 (5583);

GBP/USD

Resistance levels (open interest**, contracts)

$1.3519 (4823)

$1.3489 (2617)

$1.3467 (2478)

Price at time of writing this review: $1.3444

Support levels (open interest**, contracts):

$1.3402 (1967)

$1.3373 (2546)

$1.3336 (2084)

Comments:

- Overall open interest on the CALL options with the expiration date January, 5 is 33202 contracts, with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,3500 (4823);

- Overall open interest on the PUT options with the expiration date January, 5 is 34217 contracts, with the maximum number of contracts with strike price $1,3250 (2802);

- The ratio of PUT/CALL was 1.03 versus 1.04 from the previous trading day according to data from December, 27

* - 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.

Retail sales in Japan were up a seasonally adjusted 1.9 percent on month in November, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, cited by rttnews.

That beat forecasts for a gain of 0.7 percent following the downwardly revised 0.1 percent contraction in October.

On a yearly basis, retail sales climbed 2.2 percent - again topping expectations for a gain of 1.0 percent following the 0.2 percent slide in the previous month.

Sales from large retailers advanced an annual 1.4 percent, exceeding expectations for a gain of 1.0 percent after dipping 0.7 percent a month earlier.

European markets closed mixed on Wednesday, amid light trade across markets worldwide due to the holiday period. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed up 0.1 percent, with major bourses pointing in different directions. The FTSE 100 hit a record high during the session on Wednesday, and closed 0.34 percent higher.

A measure of Asian stocks flirted with a record high on Thursday in muted trading after a listless U.S. session overnight offered little direction ahead of New-Year holidays. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of stocks was heading for a record close as of late-morning trading, after recouping losses that began in late November in one of several waves of profit taking seen in a standout year.

U.S. stocks eked out a positive close Wednesday, with gains in real estate and utilities offsetting declines in energy and telecommunications stocks.

(raw materials / closing price /% change)

OIL 59.57 -0.12%

GOLD 1291.80 +0.03%

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

Nikkei +18.52 22911.21 +0.08%

TOPIX +2.78 1829.79 +0.15%

Hang Seng +19.65 29597.66 +0.07%

CSI 300 -62.41 3991.21 -1.54%

Euro Stoxx 50 -3.22 3550.17 -0.09%

FTSE 100 +28.02 7620.68 +0.37%

DAX -2.77 13070.02 -0.02%

CAC 40 +4.12 5368.84 +0.08%

DJIA +28.09 24774.30 +0.11%

S&P 500 +2.12 2682.62 +0.08%

NASDAQ +3.09 6939.34 +0.04%

S&P/TSX +37.86 16203.13 +0.23%

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

EUR/USD $1,1886 +0,24%

GBP/USD $1,3399 +0,19%

USD/CHF Chf0,9862 -0,31%

USD/JPY Y113,32 +0,09%

EUR/JPY Y134,74 +0,35%

GBP/JPY Y151,84 +0,28%

AUD/USD $0,7769 +0,54%

NZD/USD $0,7061 +0,33%

USD/CAD C$1,2654 -0,24%

09:00 Eurozone ECB Economic Bulletin

09:30 United Kingdom BBA Mortgage Approvals November 40.488 40.6

13:30 U.S. Continuing Jobless Claims December 1932 1900

13:30 U.S. Goods Trade Balance, $ bln. November -68.30 -67.6

13:30 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims December 245 240

14:45 U.S. Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index December 63.9 62.5

16:00 U.S. Crude Oil Inventories December -6.495 -3.925