The UK markets were mostly dominated this week by oil, telecommunication, bank and drug stocks.
The FTSE 100 had a poor week but was not as volatile as has been the case recently. Despite some positive days, the FTSE TechMARK also managed to end the week in the red. Good news from retail sales data in the UK but could this mean a rate increase is on the horizon?
European markets were mostly dominated this week by oil, telecommunication, bank and drug stocks. Both the Xetra DAX and CAC 40 both had a poor week but not as bad as it could have been.
Markets in Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris were struck down with technical problems and had to suspend trade. Investors felt the nervous vibes from the US as the threat of more terrorist attacks was only too real.
The US markets were fairly eventful this week with terrorism threats still at the forefront. They were predicted over the weekend by the Vice President and a scare on the Brooklyn Bridge happened on Wednesday.
Good news from the durable orders front but bad news with a downsized gross domestic product figure.
Far Eastern markets had a choppy week with Tokyo ending a five day winning streak on Tuesday. The Bank of Japan decided to leave monetary policy alone for the time being and then upgraded their assessment of the economy in May, making it three months in a row.
Potential good news on the GDP front but we won't know for definite until early June.