EQUITIES
S&P 500 Index : $2,881.19, gain 32.77 points or 1.15%
Dow Jones Industrial Average : $23,875.89, gain 211.25 points or 0.89%
Nasdaq Composite Index : $8,979.66, gain 125.27 points or 1.41%
European exchanges following trait, with for London's FTSE 100 gained 1.40%. Germany's DAX rally at 1.44% and France's CAC up 1.54%. Italy's FTSE MIB Index closed 0.50% higher and pan-European Stoxx 600 index gain 1.09% closed Thursday.
Asian markets still finding footing in early trade, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rally at 1.23%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed -0.65%, China's Shanghai Composite down -0.23% and Singapore’s gained 0.75%. South Korea’s KOSPI gained 1.06%. and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 up 0.94% in early trading.
OIL
Brent crude futures ended the session lower on Thursday at $29.46 per barrel, a drop of-0.87%, while WTI crude futures drop -1.83%, at $23.55 per barrel.
Currently, oil prices rally in the morning of Asian trading hours, with Brent is trading at $29.53 per barrel and WTI is trading at $23.70 per barrel as of writing time.
CURRENCIES
The U.S. DXY stand at 99.71, lower than yesterday index, compared with a basket of its major peers. Dollars deflate against some of major currencies, including against RUB (-0.44%), AUD (-0.34%), MXN (-0.30%), NZD (-0.24%), GBP (-0.17%), NOK (-0.17%), CAD (-0.17%), EUR (-0.08%), CHF (-0.08%), SGD (-0.01%), and DKK (-0.01%) at latest reading.
Though, dollar also rally against some others, including JPY (0.12%), and SEK (0.03%).
GOLD
Gold currently trading at $1,714.40 per ounce, while stands around $1,725.20 per ounce for gold futures as of writing time. Previously closed at $1,718.00 and $1,725.80, respectively.
Silver trading at $15.30, platinum trading at $764.00 and palladium trading at $1,802.00.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Stocks in Asia were traded higher Friday morning after the Nasdaq Composite recovered from its losses for the year overnight.
April’s employment report expected to provide a bleak look at the swift collapse of the U.S. economy, which is expected to have lost a record 21.5 million jobs last month and driven the unemployment rate to 16%.
To date, number of confirmed worldwide cases for COVID-19 pandemic has now reached more than 3,916,000 today affecting 212 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances, recording 271,000 fatality globally.
TECHNICAL OUTLOOK
[GBPUSD]
Our Preference:
- Long positions above 1.2347 with targets at 1.2635.
Commentary/ Reason:
- RSI and Stochastic indicators are mixed to bullish.
- It is trading above both its 200 and 50 Moving Averages.
