OPEN Sept 13

In Asian Equity Markets indices edged up Friday morning. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.89% as shares of index heavyweights Fast Retailing and Softbank Group jumped 2.16% and 2.86%. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 0.27% as shares of life insurer AIA jumped 1.01%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.21% higher as majority of the sectors advanced. Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index rose 0.26%. Markets in China and South Korea are closed on Friday for holidays.



In Currency Markets the euro gained against the dollar on Thursday after the European Central Bank launched new stimulus but failed to live up to some dovish market expectations. The ECB cut its deposit rate to a record low -0.5% from -0.4% and will restart bond purchases of 20 billion euros a month from November. The euro gained 0.55% to $1.1069, after initially dropping as low as $1.0925. That was the lowest since the single currency fell to $1.0924 on Sept. 3, which was the weakest in more than two years.



In Commodities Markets oil futures fell on Friday as optimism over an end to the U.S.-China trade war faded, leaving prices set for a weekly loss after days of wild gyrations. Brent crude was down 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $60.21 a barrel, while U.S. WTI was off by 14 cents, or 0.3%, at $54.95. Brent has traded in a range of nearly $5 this week and is heading for the first weekly loss in five. U.S. crude has traded similarly and is heading for its first loss in three weeks. Brent has traded in a range of nearly $5 this week and is heading for the first weekly loss in five.



In US Equity Markets indices advanced on Thursday, and the S&P 500 ended the session within striking distance of its all-time closing high, buoyed by positive developments on the U.S.-China trade front and a promise of continued stimulus from the European Central Bank. The S&P 500 gained 0.29%, to 3,009.57 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.3%, to 8,194.47. Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc rose 1.2% after Google reached a $1.1 billion settlement with French authorities to resolve a fiscal fraud probe, and following a legal victory over German publishers over fee demands.



In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury prices fell on Thursday with 10-year yields hitting five-week highs, following a report that suggests advisers to President Donald Trump were mulling an interim trade deal with China and soft demand at a 30-year bond auction. U.S. trading, U.S. benchmark 10-year note yields were up 5.10 basis points at 1.7837% after hitting rose 1.801%, their highest level since Aug. 5. Thirty-year bond yields were 5.80 basis points higher at 2.2658%. They reached 2.28%, the highest since Aug. 12.

​