U.S. household wealth fell to roughly $151 trillion in the third quarter, pulled down by a drop in the value of stocks which more than offset a half-trillion rise in the value of property prices, the Federal Reserve said on Thursday.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, suggesting that the labor market was gradually losing momentum as higher borrowing costs curb demand in the broader economy.
A U.S. market rally in equities and bonds in November led global hedge funds to post their best monthly performance since January, although it caused losses to bearish macro strategies, data provider Hedge Fund Research (HFR) said on Thursday.
Oil prices rose in early trade on Friday but were on track to fall 6% for the week, hovering near six-month lows, with investors fretting about weak energy demand in Asia combined with high U.S. crude production.
The yen extended its towering rally on Friday and marched toward its best week against the dollar in nearly five months, as traders ramped up expectations that the end of Japan's ultra-low interest rates was closing in.
Asian shares fell with Wall Street on Thursday, while a sharp fall in oil prices to a five-month low promised to further reduce inflationary pressures and helped boost the global bond market.