Equities mixed ahead of Powell speech - 8.22

The Dollar strengthening is intact 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% on Thursday.

EUR/USD joined GBP/USD’s accelerated sliding yesterday despite S&P Global report new orders in eurozone increased for first time in 15 months. Both euro and Pound are lower against the dollar currently. USD/JPY reversed its sliding while AUD/USD slowed its retreating on Thursday with the Australian dollar higher against the Greenback currently and the yen lower still.

US stock market futures are mixed currently ahead of Fed chair Powell speech at 16:00 CET and president Trump’s speech at 18:00CET with the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes up at 4.336%. Wall Street ended down yesterday as the three main stock benchmarks recorded daily losses in the range from -0.4% to -0.3% as Department of Labor reported jobless claims rose more than expected in July while S&P Global reported private sector activity grew at the fastest rate recorded so far this year in August.

European stock markets futures are mixed currently after closing mixed on Thursday following the release of US-EU trade deal details which indicated pharmaceuticals exported from the EU to the US will see tariffs capped at 15% while EU’s autos sector will be subject to 15% tariffs only after Brussels introduces legislation to lower its industrial duties. Asian stock indexes futures are rising mostly with Australia’s All Ordinaries index defying the trend while Japanese consumer price index data showed inflation in Japan cooled in July.

Brent is edging up today. Prices climbed over 1% on Thursday as Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for stalling the peace process. Russia on Thursday launched a major air attack near Ukraine’s border with the European Union, while Ukraine claimed to have hit a Russian oil refinery. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 1.3% and are higher currently. Brent futures gained 1.2% to $67.67 a barrel on Thursday.