Markets rebound led by technology shares - 21.8.2020

The Dollar weakening is intact currently ahead of Markit’s flash manufacturing and services PMI reports at 17:45 CET 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, slid 0.3% Thursday as Labor Department data showed 1.106 million Americans filed for first-time benefits, an increase of 143,000 while continuing claims fell to 14.844 million from 15.480 million. At the same time business conditions in the Philadelphia area fell to 17.2 in August from 24.1 in July. Both GBP/USD and EUR/USD reversed their sliding yesterday as UK retail sales surged past their pre-coronavirus level in July while the German index of producer prices for industrial products decreased by 1.7% compared with the corresponding month of the preceding year after 1.8% decline in June. Both pairs are higher currently. Both yen and Australian dollar reversed their sliding against the greenback yesterday with the dynamics intact for both currently.

Futures on three main US stock indexes are higher currently after ending up Thursday. The three main US stock benchmarks recorded gains ranging from 0.2% to 1.1% as investors reverted to buying technology stocks. European stock indexes are advancing today after ending lower Thursday led by basic resources shares. Asian indexes are mostly higher today led by Hang Seng despite President Trump’s announcement at a rally on Thursday his administration would offer companies tax credits to bring US jobs back to America from China.

Brent is edging lower today. Oil prices fell yesterday after OPEC+ alliance’s Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting on Wednesday where ministers maintained output cuts of 7.7 million barrels a day. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures ended lower yesterday: October WTI fell 0.7% and is lower currently. October Brent crude closed 1% lower at $44.90 a barrel on Thursday.