NBK Capital Monthly Global Markets Review

down in April, coming in at 5.57m compared to March’s 10-year high reading of 5.7m. Consumer Sentiment was at 97.1, slightly higher than April’s 97.

US equities were up, closing the month with a gain of 1.2 percent, as measured by the S&P 500. The UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was 56.7 for the month of May. The Consumer Price Index for April, YoY, was 2.7 percent compared to 2.3 percent in March. Retail sales increased 2.3 percent month-over-month in April, its biggest gain since January 2016. Consumer confidence fell to -5 in May from -7 in the previous month. The Eurozone Markit Manufacturing PMI for the month of May was 57, unchanged from last month. This is the highest reading since April 2011, as exports rose the most in over six years. The Markit Services PMI preliminary reading fell to 56.2 in May from 56.4 in April. Consumer confidence increased to -3.3, its highest level in nearly a decade, after the election victory of pro-European centrist Macron. European equities rose in May by 0.8 percent, as measured by the Stoxx Europe 600.

Japan exports

Exports from Japan increased by 7.5 percent from a year earlier to JPY 6,329.2 billion in April 2017, compared to 12.0 percent last month. Imports for the same time-period were up 15.1 percent. The Nikkei Manufacturing PMI came in at 53.1 in May, slightly above the prior month’s reading of 52.7; indicating manufacturing activity continues to expand. Housing starts were down year on year for the month of April at -1.9 percent compared to 0.2 percent for the month of April. Japanese equities were up in May, as measured by the Nikkei 225,