In European Equity Markets stocks closed higher on Thursday after the ECB announced a massive new bond-buying program. Shares of WM Morrison rose by 5.8% in trade after the British supermarket chain announced a 49% rise in first half pretax profit and an extension to its partnership with Amazon. French oil storage and distribution company Rubis saw its shares rise 2.5% after beating its first half earnings consensus. AB InBev climbed 3.1% after confirming that it is continuing to explore an IPO for its Asia Pacific business on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

In Currency Markets the euro gained against the dollar on Thursday, erasing earlier losses, after the European Central Bank launched new stimulus but failed to live up to some dovish market expectations. The ECB cut its deposit rate to a record low -0.5% from -0.4% and will restart bond purchases of 20 billion euros a month from November. The euro was last up 0.33% at $1.1045, after earlier falling as low as $1.0925. That was the lowest since the single currency fell to $1.0924 on Sept. 3, which was the lowest in more than two years.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell on Thursday after a meeting of the OPEC+ alliance yielded no decision on deepening supply cuts but focused instead on bringing Nigerian and Iraqi output down to their agreed quotas. Oil came under further pressure after the ECB cut its deposit rate to a record low -0.5% from -0.4% and said it will restart bond purchases of 20 billion euros a month from November to prop up euro zone growth. Brent crude futures were down $1.49 cents at $59.32 a barrel. U.S. WTI futures fell $1.27 cents to $54.48. Both were heading for a third session of losses.

In US Equity Markets stocks gained in morning trading on Thursday after the United States delayed scheduled tariff hikes on billions worth of Chinese imports, and the European Central Bank launched a stimulus drive to boost the ailing euro zone economy. The S&P 500 was up 0.29%, at 3,009.54 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.45%, at 8,206.12. Baker Hughes fell 1.59% after General Electric Co began divesting its stake in the oilfield services provider, aiming to raise $2.7 billion. Activision Blizzard Inc rose 2.39% after two brokerages raised their price targets on the stock.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields turned higher on Thursday after early declines, boosted by a report suggesting that advisers to President Donald Trump were considering some concessions to a possible trade deal with China. Germany’s 10-year bond yield fell earlier, while 30-year debt fell almost 20 basis points at one point . Italian 10-year bond yields hit a record low of 0.782%. German bunds though last traded higher on the day at -0.551%. U.S. benchmark 10-year note yields rose to 1.752% from 1.733% late on Wednesday.