The conference call was polite, but my take from the tone and data from the conference call is a confirmation that Windows 8 is a dud.
FORBES: Bill Gates Has Xbox 720 To Thank For New Wealth Growth Spurt
While the data in the UK was predominately positive, once again the US related data held a negative tone as Retail and Core Retail Sales continued to slide in June.
The data often set the market tone for a week or two after their release.
Looking toward next week, market watchers said Chinese data will help to set the tone early.
If so, this would be very much in line with the disappointing tone of recent activity data.
Wall Street is taking its positive cues from strong manufacturing surveys out of Europe and China, setting a bullish tone ahead of ADP employment data and the ISM manufacturing index.
FORBES: Futures Higher as Facebook Fever Sweeps Street; Amazon Shares Plummet
Silver prices remain volatile, but the tone toward the metal remains negative, especially as recent economic data suggests a possible slowing of industrial demand.
Further, platinum could be deriving some support from the firmer tone in equities on ideas that softer U.S. economic data may prompt the Federal Reserve into undertaking more monetary accommodation, said Jim Steel, precious-metals analyst with HSBC.
FORBES: Platinum Outperforming Other Metals, Lifted By South African Supply Concerns
Zach Pandl, an economist at Columbia Management, an investment firm, said the survey's rosier tone is probably one reason that several Fed policymakers have recently expressed optimism despite sluggish economic data.
The positive tone for Asian stocks was helped in part by a higher finish on Wall Street, boosted by data on jobless claims and bank earnings that were better than expected.
应用推荐