Equity markets down after disappointing US consumer sentiment data - 16.8.2021

The Dollar strengthening has resumed 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, fell 0.5% on Friday after the University of Michigan preliminary report showed the consumer sentiment index fell to 70.2, its lowest level in a decade.

Both GBP/USD and EUR/USD reversed their sliding Friday as federal statistics office Destatis reported the slowing of German producer prices increase in July was less than feared. Both pairs are lower against the Dollar currently. AUD/USD reversed its sliding Friday while USD/JPY fell sharply with the yen higher against the Greenback currently and Australian dollar lower.

Futures on US equity benchmarks are down currently after the three main US stock benchmarks ended marginally higher Friday recording daily returns ranging from 0.04% to 0.16%. For the week, the Dow gained 0.87%, the SP 500 advanced 0.71% while the Nasdaq slipped 0.09%.

European stock indexes are down currently after ending higher on Friday . Asian indexes are retreating today with NIKKEI leading losses after Chinese data showed July retail sales, industrial production and urban investment all missed forecasts while China’s central bank offered more medium-term loans than expected to cushion economic slowdown.