Global stocks are down

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, edged down 0.03% Friday as the University of Michigan’s preliminary reading of its US consumer sentiment index in September rose to 78.9 from 74.1 in August, while US current account deficit widened to $170 billion from $111.5 billion in the first quarter. GBP/USD ended lower Friday while EUR/USD continued climbing as the euro-zone current account surplus decline to €16.6 billion in July from €20.7 billion was smaller than forecast, while UK retail sales growth slowed to 0.8%, in line with expectations. Both pairs are higher currently. AUD/USD joined USD/JPY continued retreating Friday with both yen and Australian dollar higher against the greenback currently.

Futures on US equity benchmarks are down currently ahead of Fed chair Powell’s speech at 18:00 CET today. The three main US stock indexes recorded losses ranging from 0.9% to 1.1% on Friday. European stock indexes are extending losses currently after a bearish session Friday led by travel shares as more than 10 million people across northeast England are under lockdowns due to rising infection rates. Asian indexes are mostly lower today led by Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index with Japanese markets closed for a holiday.

Brent is edging lower today after reports workers at Libya’s major Sharara field have restarted operations after National Oil Corporation announced a partial lifting of force majeure. Oil prices ended mixed last session as Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, collectively known as OPEC+, extended last Thursday the period during which countries that failed to limit production adequately in earlier months can make compensatory reductions. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures are lower currently after October WTI edged up 0.3% Friday. November Brent crude lost 0.4% to $43.15 a barrel on Friday.

Gold prices are edging down today. December gold rose 0.6% to $1962.10 an ounce on Friday.