Global equities declined while gold rose amid North Korea's claim of the country's first successful intercontinental ballistic missile test that brings the United States within its reach. Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said the missile test would force them to find some kind of common ground on North Korea, according to the New York Times. AdvertisementIn Europe, the Stoxx 600 Index ended the session with a 0.3 per cent drop from the previous close. The UK's FTSE 100 Index slid 0.3 per cent, while Germany's DAX Index also declined 0.3 per cent, and France's CAC40 Index eased 0.4 per cent. "North Korea is continuing to provoke," Credit Agricole FX strategist Manuel Oliveri told Reuters.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 04, 2017 21:00 UTC