Equities venture up with several markets closed for holiday - 1.5.2023

The Dollar strengthening continues 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, added 0.16% Friday.

EUR/USD slowed its sliding while GBP/USD accelerated its climbing on Friday as the federal statistics office Destatis reported the German inflation rate declined once again in April 2023. Euro and Pound are lower against the Dollar currently. USD/JPY accelerated its climbing while AUD/USD reversed its advancing Friday with the yen lower against the Greenback currently and the Australian dollar higher.

US stocks indexes futures are higher currently after closing higher Friday following Bureau of Economic Analysis data showing the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation, the annual personal consumption expenditures price index, slowed in March. The three main US stock benchmarks recorded daily gains in the narrow range from 0.70% to 0.83% on Friday while the First Republic stock plunged 43.5% amid doubts over its prospects after the bank disclosed a big drop in deposits .

European stock indexes closed higher on Friday led by oil and gas shares. Markets in Europe are closed for a holiday today. Asian stock indexes futures are mostly rising today in thin trading with Japan's Nikkei leading gains as trading is closed for Labor Day in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and South Korea.

Brent is edging lower currently. Oil prices ended higher on Friday last week. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) added 2.7% but is lower currently. Brent rose 2.7% to $80.29 a barrel on Friday.