Stocks mixed after hawkish Fed minutes - 23.2.2023

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% Wednesday.

GBP/USD joined EUR/USD’s continued reversing on Wednesday despite the ifo Institute report Germany’s business outlook improved for a fifth month in a row in February. Euro and Pound are higher against the Dollar currently. USD/JPY reversed its climbing while AUD/USD continued its retreating yesterday with both the yen and the Australian dollar higher against the Greenback currently.

The US stock index futures are up currently ahead of Department of Labor report on unemployment claims scheduled for 14:30 CET today. The three main US stock indexes ended mixed on Wednesday recording daily returns in the range from -0.3% to 0.1% after minutes from February's Federal Reserve meeting reinforcing views interest rates will stay higher for longer.

European stock indexes futures are up currently after closing lower yesterday with mining stocks leading losses. Asian stock indexes futures are mixed today with Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 All Ordinaries index leading losses.

Brent is advancing presently. Prices ended sharply lower yesterday as the American Petroleum Institute reported US crude stockpiles rose by 9.9 million barrels last week. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell 3% but is higher currently. Brent crude lost 3% to $80.60 a barrel on Wednesday.