Markets mixed but US stocks hit record high

Markets were mixed on the first trading day of March.

In the US, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent to another record high. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.9 percent to cross 5,000 for the first time since 2000. Yields on 10-year Treasuries rose nine basis points to 2.09 percent.

However, the STOXX Europe 600 fell 0.2 percent. Portugal’s 10-year yield declined for a 14th successive day, the longest run on record, to an all-time low of 1.74 percent. Italy’s 10-year yield dropped to a record 1.294 percent.

Oil also fell, with Brent falling 4.9 percent and West Texas Intermediate slipping 0.3 percent.