Markets venture up after Wall Street dip - 16.12.2022

The Dollar strengthening has halted currently. The live dollar index data show the ICE US Dollar index, a measure of the dollar’s strength against a basket of six rival currencies, rose 0.4% Thursday as the Department of Labor data showed the number of Americans who sought unemployment benefits over the last week was  less than the forecast while their number declined.

Both GBP/USD and EUR/USD reversed their rising Thursday while both the Bank of England and European Central Bank raised interest rates by 50 basis points. Both euro and Pound are higher against the Dollar currently. USD/JPY reversed its sliding while AUD/USD reversed its climbing yesterday with both the yen and Australian dollar higher against the Greenback currently.

US stock indexes futures are up currently ahead of the US Services and Manufacturing PMI reports today at 15:45 CET as the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes ticked up to 3.479%. The three main stock benchmarks closed lower Thursday in the range of -2.3% to -3.2% as retail sales fell more than expected in November while industrial production unexpectedly declined.

European stock market futures are higher today after ending down Thursday with tech shares leading losses. Asian stock indexes futures are mostly rising currently with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng leading gains while Nikkei leading losses after data showed Japan’s manufacturing sector shrank more than expected in December.

Brent is edging down presently. Prices ended lower on Thursday after Canada's TC Energy Corp said it was resuming operations in a section of its Keystone pipeline supplying US, a week after a shutdown. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slid 1.5% and is lower currently. Brent crude fell 1.8% to $81.21 a barrel on Thursday.