AM Report 12 Apr 18: Syria airstrike tensions hit markets, oil at 3year high

US sharemarkets declined on Wednesday on increased risk aversion as tensions between the US and Russia over possible military action against Syria escalated. Industrial distributor Fastenal's shares fell by 6.2% after its earnings missed expectations. Rising geo-political risks boosted oil prices. Exxon Mobil shares rose by 0.5%. Netflix shares gained 1.9% after Goldman Sachs upgraded its price target on the stock from US$315 to US$360. At the close of trade, the Dow Jones index fell by 218 points or 0.9%. The S&P 500 index fell by 0.6% and the Nasdaq index fell by 25 points or 0.4%.

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