Markets track Wall Street rally - 22.1.2024

The Dollar weakening 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, lost 0.2 % on Friday.

EUR/USD reversed its sliding and GBP/USD reversed its advancing on Friday while data showed that the UK retail sales declined significantly more than expected in December. Both euro and Pound are lower against the Dollar currently. USD/JPY ended flat on Friday while AUD/USD continued its climbing with both the yen and the Australian dollar lower against the Greenback currently.

US stocks indexes futures are up currently after closing solidly higher on Friday following University of Michigan report showing consumer sentiment rose 13% in January – the highest level in nearly two and a half years. The three main US stock benchmarks recorded daily gains in the range from 1.1% to 1.7% on Friday led by technology shares.

European stock indexes futures are up currently after closing marginally lower on Friday led by mining shares. Asian stock indexes futures are mostly rising today with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index defying regional trend while People’s Bank of China kept its benchmark loan prime rate on hold at record lows.

Brent is down currently. Prices ended lower on Friday. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) lost 0.9% and is lower currently. Brent slid 0.7% to $78.56 a barrel on Friday. However for the week Brent gained about 0.5% while the U.S. benchmark rose over 1%.