In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 closed almost 0.2 percent higher, with most sectors and major indexes in positive territory. Technology stocks were among the gainers Thursday, up 1.4 percent amid corporate earnings news. Dutch chip equipment maker ASML was upgraded by analysts on Thursday after the firm published stronger-than-anticipated fourth-quarter results. Its shares were more than 3 percent higher. Geberit jumped to the top of the European benchmark after the Swiss firm reported annual sales data in line with analysts’ expectations. The plumbing products maker had been struggling in recent months amid a slowdown of fitters in Germany. Its shares were more than 6 percent higher. Rightmove fell 3.7 percent as J.P. Morgan downgraded its stock recommendation to “underweight” from “normal.”

In Currency Markets the U.S. dollar fell on Thursday as traders piled into the euro, yen, sterling and other major currencies amid concerns over a possible U.S. government shutdown as lawmakers struggled to cobble together a federal budget deal. The dollar index was down 0.36 percent at 90.590. It held above a three-year low of 90.104 touched on Wednesday. The euro hovered below its three-year peak against the greenback. It was up 0.43 percent at $1.2236. The dollar was down 0.22 percent at 111.03 yen, while the pound was up 0.35 percent at $1.3874. Sterling climbed above $1.39 on Thursday for the first time since Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. Sterling climbed above $1.39 on Thursday for the first time since Britain’s vote to leave the European Union and was on track for a fifth consecutive week of gains against the U.S. currency.

In Commodities Markets oil rebounded after slipping below $69 a barrel on Thursday, supported by a record drawdown of U.S. crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub, despite concerns that OPEC-led output cuts will increase supply from the United States. Crude is just below its highest price since December 2014, supported by supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and concern that unrest in producer nations such as Nigeria could further curb output. U.S. crude inventories fell 6.9 million barrels last week, compared with forecasts for a 3.5 million-barrel draw, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. Brent crude, the global benchmark, pared losses, trading at $69.30, down 8 cents a barrel, after earlier slipping to $68.80 a barrel earlier in the session.

In US Equity Markets main indexes edged lower on Thursday as declines in healthcare and energy stocks paused a rally that had driven the Dow Jones index to its fastest ever 1,000 point gain. Merck and Pfizer weighed the most on the S&P healthcare sector, which fell 0.45 percent. The S&P 500 was down 0.16 percent, at 2,798.17 and the Nasdaq Composite was flat at 7,292.95. Alcoa shares fall over 8 percent after the aluminum producer’s quarterly earnings missed analysts’ estimates. Morgan Stanley wrapped up earnings season for the big U.S. banks with a better-than-expected profit, but its shares were little changed. Bank of New York Mellon fell about 5 percent after the custodian bank said it expected to book more in severance costs in 2018.

In Bond Markets borrowing costs in the euro area edged towards recent multi-month highs on Thursday, as a sell-off in U.S. Treasuries and new supply from France, Spain and Austria put bond markets on the back foot once again. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit its highest since March 2017 at 2.61 percent in European trade, pushing euro zone counterparts higher. Germany’s 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the region, was 2 bps higher on the day at 0.51 percent. Most 10-year bond yields in the euro area were up 1-2 basis points on the day. Austria was set to sell 4 billion euros of 10-year bonds through a syndication, while France sold 7.5 billion euros in short-dated bonds and Spain raised 4.1 billion euros in a bond auction.