Equities down after Wall Street ended mixed - 19.6.2025

The Dollar strengthening continues today. 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, ended 0.1% higher on Wednesday.

Both GBP/USD and EUR/USD halted their retreating yesterday as Britain’s Office for National Statistics reported UK inflation cooled slightly to 3.4% in the year to May as expected. Both euro and Pound are lower currently. USD/JPY reversed its advancing and AUD/USD reversed its sliding on Wednesday with both the yen and the Australian dollar lower against the Greenback currently.

The US stock index futures are down currently ahead of unemployment claims report at 14:30 CET. US stocks closed mostly down on Wednesday with the three main US stock benchmarks recording daily returns in the range from -0.1% to 0.13% as the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for a fourth-straight meeting Wednesday but flagged stagflation concerns, forecasting economic growth to slow and a rise in inflation this year.

European stock indexes are lower currently ahead of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee decision on its key interest rate at 13:00 CET. Indexes closed mixed yesterday. Asian stock indexes futures are retreating with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index leading losses while data showed that Australia’s job market unexpectedly shrank in May despite unemployment rate remaining steady.

Brent is extending gains presently amid concerns over possible shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz where almost a third of global seaborne oil trade moves through. Prices inched higher on Wednesday as the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported US crude oil stocks fell by above-expected 11.5 million barrels.. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures added 0.4% and are higher currently. Brent crude gained 0.3% to $76.70 a barrel on Wednesday.