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Business / Stock Market

US stocks rise; Swiss franc shift hits broker FXCM

Published: 16 Jan 2015 - 07:20 pm | Last Updated: 18 Jan 2022 - 03:04 am


New York - US stocks opened higher Friday but the Swiss franc's sharp surge continued to roil markets, forcing shares of leading forex dealer FXCM to be suspended as trading began.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 46.43 points (0.27 percent) at 17,367.14.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 6.41 (0.32 percent) at 1,999.08, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 16.44 (0.36 percent) at 4,587.27.

FXCM shares were suspended after losing nearly 90 percent of their value in pre-market trade as the company admitted some of its clients lost hugely after the Swiss National Bank on Thursday loosened its cap on the franc's value, and were $225 million short of funds owed the company.

"As a result of these debit balances, the company may be in breach of some regulatory capital requirements," it said early Friday.

AFP