The DAX Futures is trading at 11,522.00 up with +0.56% percent or +63.60 point.The FTSE 100 Futures is trading at 7,176.80 up with +0.33% percent or +23.70 point. The CAC 40 Futures is trading at 5,210.50 up with +0.32% percent or +16.50 point. The EURO Stoxx 50 Futures trading at 3,284.50 up with +0.52% percent or +17.00 point.
TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS
The German economy stagnated in the fourth quarter of 2018 after a 0.2 percent contraction in the July-September period, which was the first time GDP shrank since 2015.
Positive contributions to the GDP came from domestic demand, in particular government spending (0.3 percentage points), gross fixed capital formation (0.2 percentage points) and household consumption (0.1 percentage points). In contrast, changes in inventories subtracted 0.6 percentage points, while net foreign trade was neutral.
Government spending expanded 1.6 percent, rebounding sharply from a 0.3 percent decline in the third quarter; and household consumption rose 0.2 percent, compared to a 0.3 percent contraction in the September quarter. In addition, fixed investment advanced 0.9 percent (vs 0.4 percent in Q3), boosted by investment in machinery and equipment (0.7 percent vs flat reading), construction (1.3 percent vs 0.7 percent) and other fixed assets (0.5 percent vs 0.2 percent). Exports of goods and services increased 0.7 percent in the three months to December, reversing a 0.9 percent fall in the third quarter; and imports also grew 0.7 percent, compared to a 1.3 percent advance in the preceding quarter.
PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY
For the day Germany’s DAX closed at 11,457.70 up with +0.30% percent or +34.42 point. the FTSE 100 closed at 7,178.60 up with +0.16% percent or +11.21 point. France’s CAC 40 closed at 5,215.85 up with +0.38% percent or +19.74 point. WORLD MARKETS
For the day the Dow is trading at 26,031.81 up with +0.70% percent or +181.18 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,792.67 up with +0.64% percent or +17.79 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,527.54 up with +0.91% percent or +67.84 point.
In other parts of world, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading at 21,528.23 up with +0.48% percent or +102.72 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 28,954.65 up with +0.48% percent or +138.35 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 2,961.28 up with +5.60% percent or +157.06 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 36,005.53 up with +0.37% percent or +134.05 point at 12:15 PM.
