Stocks mixed after US stocks closed mixed - 18.8.2025

The Dollar strengthening has halted presently. 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, fell 0.4% on Friday.

Both GBP/USD and EUR/USD reversed their sliding on Friday. Both euro and Pound are lower against the dollar currently. AUD/USD reversed its sliding while USD/JPY reversed its climbing on Friday with the yen lower against the Greenback currently and the Australian dollar higher still.

US stock indexes futures are mixed currently after Wall Street closed mixed on Friday. The three main stock benchmarks recorded daily returns in a range from -0.4% to 0.1% as retail sales slowed more than expected in June and the University of Michigan’s survey indicated consumer sentiment fell for the first time in four months.

European stock index futures are down today after closing mixed on Friday ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. Asian stock indexes futures are mixed currently with Japan’s Nikkei leading gains as Japan’s government dismissed speculation that the US was pressuring the Bank of Japan into raising interest rates US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Bank of Japan was “behind the curve” on policy and needed to raise interest rates.

Brent is edging higher currently as White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India’s purchases of Russian crude were funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine and had to stop. Prices ended about $1 lower on Friday as Chinese data showed throughput at Chinese refineries rose 8.9% over year in July but it was still down from June levels which were the highest since September 2023. US West Texas Intermediate WTI futures ended 1.8% lower and are lower currently. Brent lost 1.5% to $65.85 a barrel on Friday.