Forex

On Thursday, August 31, the U.S. markets ended mixed as investors reflected on a blend of economic indicators that were released. U.S. initial jobless claims dropped by 4,000 to 228,000 in the week ending August 26, beating market estimates of 235,000. Core PCE prices in the U.S. rose 0.2% month-over-month in July.

On Wednesday, August 30, the U.S. markets closed in green. The new economic data suggests a slowdown in the U.S. economy. The Economic data indicated that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.1% in Q2 2023, lower than the initial 2.4% estimate and the 2.0% growth in Q1. 

On Tuesday, August 29, U.S. markets closed higher; the S&P 500 saw its best day since June 2, and the Nasdaq had its strongest session since July 28, both ending over two-week highs. The notable increases followed the release of the Labor Department's JOLTS report for July, indicating a decrease in job openings to 8.827 million.

On Monday, August 28, the U.S. markets closed higher, with most sectors on the S&P 500 closing on a positive note. The manufacturing general business activity index for Texas, as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, increased to -17.2 in August, surpassing the anticipated value of -21.6.

On Friday, August 25, the U.S. markets closed higher after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole Symposium speech, where he indicated a willingness to raise interest rates when necessary. All key S&P 500 sectors increased, with consumer discretionary, technology, and energy as top gainers.