(IDEX Online) – The IDEX polished diamond price index was flat on the month in December. <?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>
The Index began the month at 124.36 and ended at 124.35.
<?xml:namespace prefix = "v" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /?>
Outlook
Polished trading was stable but quiet in the final month of the year, with the Belgian and American markets more or less closed for the final 10 days of the month.
Consequently, the Indian and Israeli bourses also saw a slowdown in activity.
US consumer confidence figures remain robust despite high levels of volatility on US and global stock markets due to comments relating to the setting of American interest rates by President Trump.
Global attention will now be on the sales figures for the holiday season and the Chinese New Year in February. Holiday sales increased 5.1% to more than $850 billion this year – the strongest growth in the last six years with a robust shopping season from before Thanksgiving through Christmas, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Online shopping also saw large gains of 19.1% compared to 2017.