On Thursday, the main stock indices showed varying trends. The sentiment among US retail investors is currently at a high, nearing 12-month highs, as per a survey. Meanwhile, consumer confidence in the United States is also strong, with the Michigan confidence index scoring 79.4 in March, surpassing economists’ estimates of 76.5 from February. This is the highest reading since July 2021.
The S&P 500 index started trading with a slight increase of 0.03 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite, which focuses more on technology, was down by 0.05 percent. The Dow Jones was down by 0.08 percent. However, pending housing transactions in the USA grew by 1.6 percent in February from January. Despite this positive news for the real estate market, the US Chicago purchasing managers’ index fell short of expectations in March, scoring 41.4 instead of the expected 46.0. The February score was also lower than expected at 44.0
