Global markets came off record highs, trading subdued, with US index futures unchanged as traders are unwilling to make major moves ahead of today's ECB minutes and tomorrow’s NFP release, and before speeches by central bankers including SF Fed President John Williams and the potential next Fed chair Jerome Powell, as well as ECB executive board members Peter Praet and Benoit Coeure.
A quiet start to today's quad-witching St. Patrick's day, with European stocks mixed, Asian shares and U.S. index futures (-0.1%) little changed ahead of industrial production data with just Tiffany's set to report earnings.
One day after the biggest drop in US stocks in over two months, taking the Dow ever further from the "promised" Dow 20000, global stocks struggled as they tried to close out 2016 on a positive note. The dollar dropped the most in two weeks, sliding alongside bond yields, while oil retreated from its highest close in 17 months as investors prepared to close out a volatile year for financial markets. European stocks slid from a 2016 peak, and extended losses for 2016 after briefly going green for the year.
Global markets continued their levitation with the UK returning from vacation, pushing the MSCI Asia Pacific Index higher for the first time in seven days, while oil headed for the longest winning streak in almost seven years ahead of the promised OPEC production cut which is set to begin in just days.
Most world markets have reopened following the holiday weekend, but trading volumes remain significantly muted. Asian and European shares advance modestly amid low volumes with U.K. and Ireland closed; S&P futures are little changed while the dollar rose and oil extended its longest winning streak in four months.