Amid turmoil over Facebook privacy leek, US stock futures edge higher with tech, Fed in focus. Investors taking a breather after a tech-led sell-off left both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite nursing their biggest one day loss in over five weeks. With about an hour to go before the markets open, futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.2% while those for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq 100 nudged 0.1% higher.

The dollar, as measured by the DXY index, is trading 0.5% higher at 90.227. Still, with a Fed rate rise already fully priced in, the dollar barely gained from the prospect of a rate hike.

EUR/USD continues to pivot narrowly around 1.23. The EUR looked well bid yesterday – albeit in the context of a market that is range bound.

GBP/USD still neutral, 1.4145 stays on the expectations.

The USD/JPY is trading back around ¥106.40 as markets look more positive.

WTI (oil futures on NYMEX) extended its five-day winning streak and hit fresh two-week tops just shy of the $ 63 mark before entering a phase of bullish consolidation.

Gold continued losing ground through the mid-European session and dropped back closer to over 2-week lows.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 98.75 points, or 0.4 percent, to 24,709.66. The S&P 500 (SPX) gained 7.04 points, or 0.26 percent, to 2,719.96. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) added 11.33 points, or 0.15 percent, to 7,355.57

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/news-feed#site-content

https://www.ft.com/content/140adba0-2c36-11e8-a34a-7e7563b0b0f4

https://www.ft.com/content/0c682f12-2b80-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/gold-weakens-back-to-yesterdays-over-2-week-lows-201803201308

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/eur-usd-consolidation-expected-to-break-to-the-upside-scotiabank-201803201351

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/shares-on-defensive-as-facebook-data-flap-spooks-tech-stocks-1349265

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/gbp-usd-still-neutral-14145-stays-on-the-cards-uob-201803201251

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/usdjpy

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/wti-clocks-2-week-tops-near-6290-ahead-of-api-report-201803200925

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/stock-futures-flat-with-fed-meeting-trumps-tariffs-in-focus-1349907

 

 

 

 

U.S. Futures were lower on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed a tweet fury over the weekend, sparking another round of political uncertainty. First, Trump accused Special Counsel Robert Mueller of hiring “hardened Democrats” to investigate a ties between the 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. After a while, he dismissed the idea that former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe had incriminating documents. McCabe was fired on Friday, just two days before his retirement.

Combined these two tweets caused more havoc than entire macroeconomic updates coming from the Fed: The S&P 500 futures fell 14 points or 0.54% to 2,741.25 while Dow futures decreased 131 points or 0.52% to 24,834.0. Meanwhile tech heavy Nasdaq 100 futures was down 98 and a half points or 1.40% to 6,945.50.

Markets are also looking ahead to Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve delivers its interest rate decision. Traders are expecting an interest rate increase as Fed chair Jerome Powell gives his first press conference.

In Europe stocks were down. Germany’s DAX fell 116 points or 0.94% while in France the CAC 40 decreased 35 points or 0.67% and in London, the FTSE 100 was down 91 points or 1.28%. Meanwhile the pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 lost 25 points or 0.74% while Spain’s IBEX 35 slumped 64 points or 0.66%.

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/markets?format=&page=2

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/stocks-us-futures-point-to-lower-opening-bell-after-trump-tweet-storm-1347564

https://www.ft.com/content/8c71d1ca-2b14-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381

https://www.ft.com/content/d959b06c-2889-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/five-reasons-why-single-trump-tweet-mueller-stretched-truth-n857831

 

Daily Forex: the dollar has been rising on Thursday as investors look ahead to next week’s Federal Reserve meeting at which the market expects a 25 basis point rate rise. The index tracking the world’s reserve currency is up 0.2% at 89.857. In the meantime, the euro is down 0.3% at $1.2333, while the pound is flat at $1.3956. Against the euro, sterling is 0.2% stronger, with £0.8835 required for a unit of the shared currency.

Oil prices are higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, is up 0.4% at $65.17 a barrel after Opec lifted its demand forecasts as part of its latest monthly report on the industry, even as it warned of dangers from a potential trade war. Gold is 0.1% lower at $1,322.70 per ounce.

Wall Street stock indices are rising and a sense of cautious optimism is helping European bourses put in a steady showing while investors keep watch on Washington for any signs of more protectionist US trade policy.

The S&P is up 0.2 % in opening trade, bouncing back from a 0.6% fall over the previous session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng recovered from an intraday drop of 0.8% to rise 0.3% overall. Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax 30 is up 0.5%, with London’s FTSE 100 flat. The Europe-wide Stoxx 600 is up 0.2%. Technology and insurance stocks are in demand.

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/markets/currencies

https://www.ft.com/content/43e68c04-27f7-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

https://www.investing.com/news/forex-news/forex–dollar-pushes-higher-after-us-import-price-data-1343384

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/latest

https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/currencies