Major US stock indices grew moderately on Thursday, closing the wave of recessions on major world stock markets caused by uncertainty on the agenda of US President Donald Trump.

The reports that Trump tried to intervene in the investigation of the alleged Russian interference in the presidential elections in the US last year and that his aides had numerous undisclosed contacts with Russian officials held tensions on the market the day after the S & P 500 published the biggest fall From september.

In addition, as shown by the report submitted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the index of business activity in the manufacturing sector increased in May, reaching a level of 38.8 points compared to 22 points in April. Economists had expected the decline to 19.5 points.

However, new applications for unemployment benefits in the US unexpectedly fell last week, and the number of Americans who continue to receive unemployment benefits has reached a 28.5-year low, indicating a rapid reduction in the weakness of the labor market. Primary requests for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 to 232,000, seasonally adjusted for the week to May 13. This returned the appeals closely to the levels that were last seen in 1973.

Most components of the DOW index finished trading in positive territory (21 out of 30). Leader of growth were shares of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT, + 3.20%). More shares fell shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO, -8.19%).

Most sectors of the S & P index recorded an increase. The growth leader was the conglomerate sector (+ 1.3%). The main materials sector fell most of all (-0.5%).

At closing:

DJIA + 0.27% 20.661.78 +54.85

Nasdaq + 0.73% 6,055.13 +43.89

S & P + 0.37% 2,365.73 +8.70

U.S. stock-index futures fell amid continuing uncertainties about President Donald Trump's political future and its impact on his pro-growth agenda.

Stocks:

Nikkei 19,553.86 -261.02 -1.32%

Hang Seng 25,136.52 -157.11 -0.62%

Shanghai 3,090.40 -14.04 -0.45%

S&P/ASX 5,738.31 -47.72 -0.82%

FTSE 7,413.39 -90.08 -1.20%

CAC 5,260.63 -57.26 -1.08%

DAX 12,532.10 -99.51 -0.79%

Crude $48.37 (-1.43%)

Gold $1,260.00 (+0.10%)

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

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) target raised to $128 from $124 at Stifel

Walmart (WMT) reported Q1 FY 2018 earnings of $1.00 per share (versus $0.98 in Q1 FY 2017), beating analysts' consensus of $0.96.

The company's quarterly revenues amounted to $116.526 bln (+1.3% y/y), generally in-line with analysts' consensus estimate of $117.013 bln.

The company also issued guidance for Q2, projecting EPS of $1.00-1.08 versus analysts' consensus estimate of $1.07.

WMT rose to $75.99 (+1.16%) in pre-market trading.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) reported Q3 FY 2017 earnings of $0.60 per share (versus $0.57 in Q3 FY 2016), beating analysts' consensus of $0.58.

The company's quarterly revenues amounted to $11.940 bln (-0.5% y/y), generally in-line with analysts' consensus estimate of $11.900 bln.

The company also issued guidance for Q4, projecting EPS of $0.60-0.62 (versus analysts' consensus estimate of $0.62) and revenues of $11.88-12.13 bln, down 4-6% y/y (versus analysts' consensus estimate of $12.53 bln).

CSCO fell to $31.22 (-7.69%) in pre-market trading.

European stocks moved sharply lower on Wednesday, with investors rattled by the latest political turmoil in the U.S. that is feared to put President Donald Trump's pro-growth agenda at risk.

The Nasdaq on Wednesday saw its worst one-day decline since the day after U.K.'s vote to exit from the European Union rattled markets, as turmoil in Washington cast doubt on President Donald Trump's pro-growth agenda that had helped to drive stocks to records.

Asian equity markets were broadly lower, extending a selloff in the U.S. overnight, as doubts increased that the Trump administration would be able to deliver on its policy goals due to mounting political problems.

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

Nikkei -104.94 19814.88 -0.53%

TOPIX -8.41 1575.82 -0.53%

Hang Seng -42.31 25293.63 -0.17%

CSI 300 -18.68 3409.97 -0.54%

Euro Stoxx 50 -57.06 3584.83 -1.57%

FTSE 100 -18.56 7503.47 -0.25%

DAX -172.92 12631.61 -1.35%

CAC 40 -88.21 5317.89 -1.63%

DJIA -372.82 20606.93 -1.78%

S&P 500 -43.64 2357.03 -1.82%

NASDAQ -158.64 6011.23 -2.57%

S&P/TSX -269.65 15273.68 -1.73%