The tech-heavy NASDAQ stockmarket index steadied somewhat early this week, and shares in older tech firms like HP and IBM, which are traded on the main market, have done well.
The study, which pulls together all the main business surveys from the UK and the euro area, shows BDO's optimism index steadied at 101.5 in April, above the no-change mark of 100.
Despite the rise in food prices, which analysts attributed to a cold weather snap in agricultural regions, the year-over-year core index remained steady — in line with expectations — and analysts said prices would probably remain steady.
The index held steady in April, according to revised figures, after increasing 0.1percentt in March.
The Conference Board, a private research group based in New York, said the index remained steady at 112.4 after a revised 0.8percentt increase in January.
The Consumer Price Index held steady in October after rising for four months, as Americans paid less for gasoline and new cars, the Labor Department said yesterday.
While the overall Producer Price Index held steady last month, the so-called core rate, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, fell 0.3percentt, largely because of falling car prices, the agency said.
The non-manufacturing index remained steady at 55.8.
This index remained steady last month, only down four cents from October's $1.47 to $1.43 in November.
