AGL 40.30 Increased By ▲ 0.29 (0.72%)
AIRLINK 127.11 Decreased By ▼ -0.88 (-0.69%)
BOP 6.67 Increased By ▲ 0.07 (1.06%)
CNERGY 4.49 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-2.39%)
DCL 8.60 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (1.42%)
DFML 41.89 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (0.99%)
DGKC 87.80 Increased By ▲ 1.22 (1.41%)
FCCL 32.92 Increased By ▲ 0.78 (2.43%)
FFBL 64.87 Decreased By ▼ -0.55 (-0.84%)
FFL 10.26 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.1%)
HUBC 109.70 Decreased By ▼ -0.79 (-0.71%)
HUMNL 14.85 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (0.68%)
KEL 5.13 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
KOSM 7.54 Increased By ▲ 0.42 (5.9%)
MLCF 41.84 Increased By ▲ 0.19 (0.46%)
NBP 59.51 Decreased By ▼ -0.58 (-0.97%)
OGDC 194.98 Increased By ▲ 0.29 (0.15%)
PAEL 28.28 Increased By ▲ 0.33 (1.18%)
PIBTL 7.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.20 (-2.5%)
PPL 152.50 Increased By ▲ 1.33 (0.88%)
PRL 26.65 Decreased By ▼ -0.23 (-0.86%)
PTC 16.18 Increased By ▲ 0.18 (1.13%)
SEARL 84.05 Increased By ▲ 5.85 (7.48%)
TELE 7.65 Increased By ▲ 0.26 (3.52%)
TOMCL 35.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-0.48%)
TPLP 8.17 Increased By ▲ 0.26 (3.29%)
TREET 16.17 Increased By ▲ 0.28 (1.76%)
TRG 52.90 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (0.27%)
UNITY 26.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.19%)
WTL 1.25 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-1.57%)
BR100 9,937 Increased By 17.1 (0.17%)
BR30 30,831 Increased By 79.1 (0.26%)
KSE100 93,676 Increased By 451.4 (0.48%)
KSE30 29,030 Increased By 145.5 (0.5%)

US Treasury prices barely budged on Wednesday, closing the session fractionally higher in limited pre-holiday trade despite a drop in jobless claims.
First-time claims for state unemployment benefits declined to 339,000 last week from a revised 354,000 the previous week. Analysts had expected a slight rise to 355,000.
It was the lowest level since January 2001 and should encourage those looking for a decent gain in the government's monthly payrolls report next week.
Continued claims did climb 81,000 to 3.32 million, but the four-week average for weekly claims hit its lowest level in almost three years.
"It's a surprisingly low number and would suggest that the labour market continues to improve," said Stephen Stanley, senior market economist at RBS Greenwich.
"We're just going to have to wait for the next payroll number to have a good sense, because these weekly numbers do tend to be quite volatile," Stanley said.
Median forecasts are for payrolls to rise by 125,000 in December, after a surprisingly muted 57,000 gain the month before.
The absence of many investors from the market on the eve of the New Year prevented price moves from extending beyond a couple of basis points here and there.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury note ticked 2/32 higher in price, taking its yield to 4.25 percent. That leaves it roughly in the middle of the range of 4.10 percent to 4.50 percent that has held for the last three months or more.
Two-year notes were flat for a yield of 1.84 percent.
Five-year notes added 1/32, yielding 3.22 percent. The 30-year bond rose 2/32, giving a yield of 5.07 percent from 5.08 percent.
The dollar was again a talking point as it carved out fresh lows against the euro.
The currency's slide could be a real threat to Treasuries as it may frighten foreign investors away from US assets, while sustained weakness could generate domestic inflation.

Copyright Reuters, 2004

Comments

Comments are closed.