Major US stock indexes completed the session in negative territory. Pressures on the indices were reported by ABC News that former US national security adviser Michael Flynn acknowledged the blame for giving false testimony to the FBI.

ABC News said that former US presidential adviser Michael Flynn is ready to testify against Trump, who sent him to negotiate with the Russians. According to ABC, Flynn promised "all-round cooperation with the team of special prosecutor Robert Mueller" and is ready to testify that as a candidate, Trump "instructed him to come into contact with the Russians."

Meanwhile, the fall of the market limited positive data on the US. The report, published by SM, showed that in November the activity in the US manufacturing sector decreased more than forecasted. The PMI index for the manufacturing sector in November was 58.2 points against 58.7 points in October. Analysts had expected that the figure would drop only to 58.4 points.

At the same time, construction costs in the US increased in October much more than expected, helped by the increase in spending on public construction projects, and the first increase in four months in private investments. Expenses for construction grew by 1.4 percent, reaching $ 1.24 trillion, and fixing the largest increase in the last five months. Economists predicted that construction costs would increase by only 0.5% after rising 0.3% in September. Meanwhile, in annual terms, construction costs increased by 2.9%.

Most components of the DOW index recorded a rise (19 out of 30). Leader of the growth were shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK, + 0.95%). Outsider were shares of General Electric Company (GE, -1.91%).

Almost all sectors of S & P finished trading in the red. The largest decline was registered in the industrial goods sector (-1.1%). Only the raw materials sector grew (+ 0.5%).

At closing:

Dow -0.17% 24.231.59 -40.76

Nasdaq -0.38% 6,847.59 -26.39

S & P -0.20% 2,642.22 -5.36

U.S. stock-index futures were lower on Friday, as investors' sentiment was hurt somewhat by a delay of Senate vote on a tax-reform bill.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei 22,819.03 +94.07 +0.41%

Hang Seng 29,074.24 -103.11 -0.35%

Shanghai 3,317.81 +0.62 +0.02%

S&P/ASX 5,989.76 +19.86 +0.33%

FTSE 7,344.59 +17.92 +0.24%

CAC 5,355.54 -17.25 -0.32%

DAX 12,969.20 -54.78 -0.42%

Crude $57.80 (+0.70%)

Gold $1,295.00 (+0.01%)

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

European stocks ended a choppy session on a down note Thursday. The pan-European index was supported by broad-based gains in the banking sector, after Credit Suisse Group AG provided an upbeat outlook and vowed to return a large chunk of profits to investors. Oil companies, however, lost ground as oil prices turned mixed as OPEC agreed to extend output curbs.

U.S. stocks rallied Thursday, with the Dow finishing above 24,000 for the first time in history, as investors grew more optimistic about the prospects for a tax overhaul out of Washington. All major indexes closed higher for the month, with the S&P 500 and Dow logging new records, while the blue-chip index set its longest streak of monthly gains in more than 22 years.

Asia-Pacific stocks largely returned to positive territory by midday, with Chinese equities recovering from much of their early declines. After opening slightly lower, Shenzhen stocks - where smaller companies are generally listed, as opposed to more industrial-focused and state-owned firms in Shanghai - rebounded.

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

Nikkei +127.76 22724.96 +0.57%

TOPIX +5.93 1792.08 +0.33%

Hang Seng -446.48 29177.35 -1.51%

CSI 300 -47.65 4006.10 -1.18%

Euro Stoxx 50 -19.98 3569.93 -0.56%

FTSE 100 -66.89 7326.67 -0.90%

DAX -37.89 13023.98 -0.29%

CAC 40 -25.26 5372.79 -0.47%

DJIA +331.67 24272.35 +1.39%

S&P 500 +21.51 2647.58 +0.82%

NASDAQ +49.58 6873.97 +0.73%

S&P/TSX +99.76 16067.48 +0.62%