In European Equity Markets closed lower Thursday, as investors continued to weigh the chance of higher interest rates. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.24 percent lower with most sectors in negative territory and bourses mixed. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 failed to open at the usual time due to a technical issue. But trading resumed at 9 a.m. London time. Travel and leisure stocks were the worst performers on Thursday, down 1.7 percent. Catering company Elior Group was the worst sectoral performer, down more than 4 percent.

In Currency Markets the euro scaled three-week peaks against the dollar on Thursday as investors boosted their bets that the ECB at next week’s monetary policy meeting will flag the winding down of its vast bond-buying program by the end of this year. The single European currency has risen for four straight sessions. Since hitting a 10-month low last week, it has gained nearly 3 percent. The euro’s gains have pushed the dollar index, a measure that is heavily weighted toward Europe’s single currency, to a three-week low as well. The dollar index was last down 0.3 percent at 93.36.

In Commodities Markets oil rose by nearly $1 a barrel on Thursday, lifted by concern about a steep drop in exports from Venezuela, although rising U.S. production kept gains in check. Brent crude futures were up 85 cents at $76.21 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 58 cents to $65.31 a barrel. Venezuela, which faces the threat of U.S. sanctions and is in the midst of an economic crisis, is nearly a month behind delivering crude to customers from its main oil export terminals, according to shipping data.

In US Equity Markets a rally in technology stocks came to a halt on Thursday, setting up the Nasdaq for its first loss in five days, while a jump in McDonald’s shares boosted the Dow. Shares of the world’s biggest fast-food chain rose 3.7 percent after media reports that the company was planning a new round of layoffs. The S&P technology index fell 1 percent, led by heavyweights Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet, after rising for six previous sessions. The S&P 500 was down 0.02 percent, at 2,771.92 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.64 percent, at 7,640.16.

In Bond Markets German government bond yields hit two-week highs on Thursday, leading top-rated bond yields in the euro area higher, a day after hawkish comments from top ECB policy makers turned investor focus to a looming central bank meeting. More than 13 billion euros of new bond supply from France and Spain added to upward pressure on yields, which rose 3-4 basis points across much of the bloc. In Germany, the euro zone’s benchmark issuer, 10-year bond yields rose more than five bps to 0.517 percent.