Equities

US equities were mixed, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones falling slightly, while the Nasdaq gained 0.1%. In Europe, most regional stock markets ended the week higher, while the UK’s FTSE 100 fell 0.4%. Asian and emerging markets fared slightly better, with the MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan and MSCI Emerging Markets indices rising 1.6% and 1.7% respectively.

Bonds

Government bond prices ended the week slightly higher, with the 10-year US Treasury yield finishing at 1.62%. In corporate bond markets, investment grade bonds were higher in the US but lower in Europe, while high yield bonds were relatively flat in both regions.

Currencies

The US dollar was weaker against the pound, euro and Japanese yen last week. The euro fell against sterling and the yen, but rose slightly against the dollar. The yen was flat against sterling and the euro, and higher versus the dollar.

Commodities

The price of gold crept up on the back of inflationary concerns, to finish at $1,881 per ounce. Brent Crude oil fell 3.3% over the week, and the price of copper followed other industrial metals to finish the week lower.

Responsible investing

The UK was the latest country to launch a market for trading carbon credits. Early prices suggest that UK polluters may face higher costs than their EU counterparts.