Markets mixed after Dow, SP 500 ended at new records - 21.10.2024

The Dollar strengthening has resumed today. 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, ended 0.3% lower on Friday.

EUR/USD joined GBP/USD’s accelerated climbing on Friday as the Office for National Statistics reported UK’s retail sales continued growing in September. Both Pound and euro are lower against the Dollar currently. USD/JPY reversed its climbing on Friday while AUD/USD slowed its advancing with both the yen and Australian dollar lower against the Greenback currently.

US stock indexes futures are mixed currently after ending up on Friday. The three main US stock benchmarks recorded daily gains in the range from 0.1% to 0.6% led by tech shares with the Dow and the S&P 500 closing at new all-time highs.

European stock futures are mixed after closing higher on Friday led by tech and luxury shares. Asian stock indexes futures are mixed today with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index leading losses while China’s central bank cut its benchmark lending rates.

Brent is rebounding currently. Prices ended lower on Friday after data showed China's economy grew at the slowest pace since early 2023 in the third quarter. US West Texas Intermediate WTI fell 2.05% but is higher currently. Brent lost 1.87% to $73.06 a barrel on Friday. For the week, Brent settled more than 7% lower, while WTI lost around 8%, marking their biggest weekly declines since September 2 when OPEC and the International Energy Agency cut their forecasts for global oil demand in 2024 and 2025.