Wall Street closes higher
James Comey testimony ended
Voting nearly closed in UK general election
US stocks closed ' Super Thursday' in fairly unspectacular fashion after a day of much activity on the world stage.
The Dow Jones, down 20 at mid-session, finished up over eight points at 21, 182.
The Nasdaq index added 24 to 6,321, while the broader based S&P 500 benchmark added just 0.65 to close then day out at 2,433.
It comes as there is a short time before polling stations close in the UK general election and the first exit poll arrives. The final result will come sometime likely to be on Friday.
The result of the snap election is liley to set the tenor for the potential Brexit negotiations.
Also today, saw James Comey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which spanned a variety of topics, including surrounding his abrupt firing on May 9 this year as head of the FBI.
Meanwhile, at the ECB meet today, president Mario Draghi cut inflation forecasts, weighing on the notion that there are improved prospects for the economy in the region.
MID-SESSION
The Dow Jones is down almost 20 points at mid-session having touched a new intra-day high earlier.
It comes as traders and markets digest the words of sacked FBI head James Comey in Congress. Despite high drama at times, some commentary suggests that it provided no real surprises that might alter Trump's pro-growth agenda.
The Dow is at 21, 154, while the S&P 500 is also lower - down three at 2,429.
The tech heavy Nasdaq however added 8.65 points at 6,306.
US crude is also sliding - down 0.11% at US$45.66 a barrel.
Elsewhere, there’s just about two hours left before polls close in the UK general election vote. The result should be known sometime on Friday.
A standout gainer in New York was the Chinese conglomerate and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group (NASDAQ: BABA), up almost 13% to $141.84 as it upped its revenue growth projection for 2018.
Electric car giant Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) gained over 2% as it made a new all-time high for the fourth day in a row and is on track to make a new all-time closing high.
OPEN
US shares started in muted and mixed fashion despite the potentially explosive testimony, just getting underway, in Washington from sacked FBI head James Comey.
The Dow Jones is up 16 at 21, 189, while the S&P 500 is down 0.93 at 2,432, while the Nasdaq is down 5.91 at 6,291.
Speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said he was proud to have worked for the FBI, which was 'honest', 'strong' and "is and always will be" independent.
He said although there was no law requiring there to be a reason for his firing on May 9, the Trump administration, had afterward set about defaming him and also the organization, claiming the FBI was poorly led.
"Those were lies," said Comey.
It comes as a new poll says over 60% of Americans think that President Trump fired Comey to protect himself rather than to help the country.
In companies, retailer Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) shares rocketed over 11% to $45 as it revealed it was exploring a "going private" deal by the Nordstrom family. It was the biggest gainer on S&P500. The group notedit had not yet made a formal proposal regarding a potential private transaction.
More follows...
#Comey says it is not up to him to determine if Trump was trying to obstruct Flynn investigation. #ComeyTestimony
— Kitco NEWS (@KitcoNewsNOW) June 8, 2017
PREVIEW..
So it's here... Super Thursday that is..
US shares are pointing to a positive start as traders gear up for the hotly anticipated appearance of former FBI chief James Comey before Congress.
In the UK, voters are heading to the polls to cast their choice in a general election.
FTSE 100 is down 11 at the time of writing as the market appears to be a bit in limbo before the result is known - likely to be in the small hours of Friday.
US crude is also continuing its pitiful run, down around half a percent at the time of writing, at US$45.48.
Comey's testimony continues the saga of the possible US election hack by Russia, and his words will certainly be closely scrutinised.
On Wednesday, the Dow Jones closed 37 higher at 21, 173, while the Nasdaq added over 22 at 6,297. The broader-based S&P 500 added 3.81 at 2,433.
In futures today, the Dow Jones is 26 points ahead; the S&P500 is three points up, while the Nasdaq is 13.25 points higher.
Also in view is initial jobless claims set for release within the next few hours.
Shares in online retail giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NASDAQ: BABA) are up over 11.5% in pre-market to $140.15 as it issued a strong revenue forecast for 2018- expecting between 45 and 49% growth in the top line.
Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) are also up over 8% ahead of a shareholder vote today on whether the company should be sold to Verizon for $4.5bn, widely expected to get the go-ahead.
The line for the Comey hearing stretches for blocks. Cops say about 600 people on it. They are only 88 audience seats. pic.twitter.com/M5klyjVAeA
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) June 8, 2017