Stocks mixed after Wall Street retreat continued - 21.8.2025

The Dollar strengthening has resumed 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, ended 2.4 cents lower on Wednesday.

EUR/USD halted its retreating while GBP/USD accelerated its sliding yesterday despite the Office for National Statistics report UK inflation rose to above expected 3.8% in July. Both euro and Pound are higher against the dollar currently. Both USD/JPY and AUD/USD continued their sliding on Wednesday with both the yen and the Australian dollar lower against the Greenback currently.

US stock index futures are mixed currently ahead of unemployment claims and Purchasing Managers' Indexes reports set for 14:30 CET and 15:45 CET today. US stocks closed lower on Wednesday with the three main US stock benchmarks recording daily returns in the range from -0.67% to 0.04% as president Trump demanded Fed Governor Lisa Cook resign amid allegations of wrongdoing connected to mortgages on properties she owns in Georgia and Michigan, and Cook said she had "no intention of being bullied to step down."

European stock indexes are lower currently after the indexes closed mixed yesterday as defense stocks extended losses on Wednesday following talks between president Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders which raised hopes for a pause or end to the Ukrainian conflict. Asian stock indexes futures are mixed with Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 All Ordinaries index leading gains buoyed by advances in the industrials, consumer staples and consumer discretionary shares.

Brent is edging higher presently. Prices climbed about 2% on Wednesday as the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported US crude inventories fell by bigger than expected 6 million barrels last week. There were reports India’s state-run refiners Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum have bought Russian oil for September and October delivery, resuming purchases after discounts widened, despite an additional tariff of 25% on Indian goods exported to the US from August 27 announced by president Trump as a punishment for buying Russian oil. The US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures gained 1.4% and are higher currently. Brent crude rose 1.6% to $66.84 a barrel on Wednesday.