WELLINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) -
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks ended little changed on Friday, losing ground late after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's comments on the economy unnerved investors.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI closed up 39.44 points, or 0.22 percent, to 18,138.38, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.43 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,132.98 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 0.83 points, or 0.02 percent, to 5,214.16.
For a full report, double click on .N
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's leading share index climbed on Friday after falling in the previous three sessions, with grocer Tesco TSCO.L recovering while mid-cap Man Group EMG.Lsurging after a strong trading update.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE was up 0.5 percent at 7,013.55 points at its close,having fallen to its lowest level in more than a week on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on .L
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average rose in choppy trade on Friday as index heavyweight Fast Retailing Co's 9983.T strong gains offset negative sentiment from Wall Street's weakness overnight.
The Nikkei .N225 ended 0.5 percent higher after trading in negative territory earlier. The benchmark index was nearly flat for the week.
The broader Topix .TOPX gained 0.4 percent to 1,347.19 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 .JPXNK400 added 0.3 percent to 12,046.36.
For a full report, double click on .T
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar on Friday posted its best weekly performance in more than seven months after strong U.S. retail sales and producer prices data for September reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates in December.
The U.S. currency briefly trimmed gains versus the Japanese yen and euro after Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the U.S. central bank might need to run a "high-pressure" economy to reverse damage from the last financial crisis. Her view of the economy did not alter expectations for a December rate hike, analysts said. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, rose 0.4 percent to 97.935 .DXY .
For a full report, double click on USD/
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - Longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields rose sharply on Friday with 30-year bond yields reaching a four-month high after the release of solid U.S. and Chinese economic data and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who suggested the central bank may allow inflation to exceed its 2 percent target.
The 30-year bond US30YT=RR fell 1-17/32 in price to yield 2.552 percent, the highest since June 23. Yields on the 30-year bond were on track for the largest one-day gain in five weeks.
For a full report, double click on US/
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold fell on Friday as the dollar rose after U.S. economic data came in within analysts' expectations, cementing assumptions of an interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve by year-end.
Spot gold XAU= was down 0.3 percent at $1,254.26 an ounce by 2:12 p.m. EDT (1812 GMT). U.S. gold futures GCcv1 settled down 0.2 percent, at $1,255.50.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - The price of copper slipped to a one-month low on Friday after the dollar gained and Europe's biggest smelter cut the premium it will charge customers for copper cathode next year, highlighting over-supply and weak demand.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 closed down 0.8 percent at $4,675 a tonne, recovering after sliding to a low of $4,623.25 a tonne, the weakest since Sept. 12.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices fell slightly on Friday as traders balanced a stronger dollar and another increase in the U.S. oil rig count against expectations that more OPEC talk of output cuts will keep crude above $50 per barrel.
Brent LCOc1 , the London-traded crude benchmark, settled down 8 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $51.95 a barrel. For the week, it closed flat.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ended down 9 cents at $50.35. It rose about 1 percent on the week.
For a full report, double click on O/R
- - - -