In the US, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ stock market indices both rose by over 20% in 2024, extending the bull run which began at the end of 2022. For the week, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both closed lower, down -0.48% and -0.51% respectively. In Europe, manufacturing PMIs for December 2024 fell slightly compared to November, as manufacturing activity continues to contract across the Bloc. In the UK, flash manufacturing PMIs for December showed a fourth straight monthly contraction in manufacturing activity, due to a combination of lower output and reduced orders for goods. For the week, the Eurostoxx50 closed lower, down by -0.21% while the STOXX600 and FTSE 100 closed higher, up +0.53% and +1.35% respectively. In Ireland, a record number of people were in employment in 2024 in Ireland, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office. In Asia Pacific, South Korea last week issued an arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol, the first time ever an incumbent president has had an arrest warrant issued in the country’s history.
