SUMMARY
- Stoxx 600 gains 0.5%, rebounding from six-month low.
- Euro zone's inflation drops to 4.3% for September, lowest in a year.
- Hang Seng shines in Asia-Pacific, posting 2% gains.
European stocks took an upward trajectory this Friday, painting a slightly brighter end to a rather gloomy month and an even darker quarter. The illustrious Stoxx 600, the barometer of Europe's stock health, nudged up by a modest 0.5%.
Tech and household goods sectors strutted their stuff, leading the pack in this miniature rebound. Yet, the Stoxx had a rough spell recently, dipping to a concerning six-month low. Do the math and you'll see a 2.9% loss this quarter - the worst in a year.
Let's not get too carried away, though. Investors had their magnifying glasses out, meticulously scrutinizing the euro zone's inflation data. And the verdict? Inflation did a bit of a nosedive, plummeting to 4.3% for September - the lowest since the ghoulish October of 2021. This echoes what we've been hearing from Germany. Their data also threw up a slowing inflation trend, marked by a 4.3% rise in consumer prices. This comes as the lowest since the time Russia thought it'd be a good idea to make a grand entry into Ukraine.
Peeking elsewhere, Asia-Pacific markets are having a decent run. As the week drew to a close, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was the star student, pocketing gains north of 2%. The U.S? Well, they seemed eager to put a challenging September behind, with stocks hinting at a hopeful rise.
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