PRAGUE/BUDAPEST/WARSCHAU (dpa-AFX) – The stock exchanges in Eastern Europe did not find a common direction on Friday. Significant gains in Warsaw were offset by losses in Budapest and Moscow, while prices in Prague hardly moved. The focus – as on the leading European stock exchanges and on Wall Street – was the monthly US labor market report.
The world’s largest economy created more jobs than expected in August. However, the increase in employment was revised downwards massively in the two previous months. In addition, the unemployment rate rose significantly – experts had expected stagnation. The increase in hourly wages weakened somewhat more than forecast.
The Wig 20 in Warsaw rose by 1.16 percent to 2050.94 points on Friday, after having lost a similar amount of value the day before. The broader WIG closed 0.86 percent higher at 69,017.61 points.
ComArch posted a minus of one percent according to the figures. According to Erste Group analysts, the software company surprised positively in terms of net profit in the second quarter. However, the company was disappointing when it came to reporting sales and operating results.
Amrest also reported results for the current quarter. The shares of the restaurant operator responded with a plus of 5.1 percent. The experts at Erste Group (Erste Group Bank) had expected a positive market reaction after the presentation of the figures.
The Prague PX (PX Prague Stock Exchange Index) started the weekend down 0.01 percent to 1340.71 points. Among the heavyweights, Erste Group fell by 1.1 percent. Kofola, on the other hand, closed with a plus of three percent. The significant increase in dividends announced by the beverage manufacturer was seen by Erste Group as supporting the share price.
On the Budapest Stock Exchange, the BUX recorded a minus of 0.48 percent to 55,504.98 points. This ended a negative trading week with a weekly loss of 2.5 percent. The most striking price movement among the Hungarian blue chips on Friday was the shares of OTP (Orságos Takar És Ker BK ON) Bank with a discount of 2.8 percent.
In Moscow, the RTS index (RTS) closed 0.35 percent lower at 1055.43 points./ste/kat/APA/gl/men