The rise follows recent statistics showing that applications for social security in the US are at their highest level since February. The market interprets this as a signal that the overheated labor market may be about to cool down, and that the central bank, the Federal Reserve (Fed), may therefore proceed more cautiously with future interest rate increases.
Investors are now looking ahead to the Fed’s meeting next week, where the board is expected to raise the key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.
The price of oil continued to decline during the day, which pressured oil companies’ shares. A barrel of WTI oil was traded for just over 71 dollars, while a barrel of Brent oil was traded for 76 dollars.
The American ten-year interest rate rose slightly, to 3.49 percent.