In Asian Equity Markets stocks clung on to small gains on Friday thanks to a solid Wall Street session, but were still set for their worst month in two years, as China growth fears and looming U.S. rate hikes dragged on sentiment and sent the safe-haven dollar soaring. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.2 percent on Friday. Japanese markets are closed for a holiday. Shanghai stocks rose 0.2 percent on Friday, but are set for an 8.1 percent fall for the month, their worst since January 2016.

In Currency Markets the dollar held firm at a 20-year high on Friday and was poised to score its best monthly gain in a decade, buoyed by bets on rising U.S. interest rates and doubts about growth in Europe and China. The yen was last at 130.72 per dollar after falling as low as 131.25 overnight following the BOJ’s pledge to buy endless amounts of bonds daily as needed. The U.S. dollar index was last at 103.53 and up more than 5.3 percent through April. The euro, meanwhile, fell through $1.05 for the first time in five years on Thursday and was last clinging on at $1.0511.

In US Equity Markets stocks ended sharply higher on Thursday after a strong quarterly report from Meta Platforms lifted beaten down technology and growth stocks and offset worries about the U.S. economy’s contraction in the first quarter. The S&P 500 climbed 2.47 percent to end the session at 4,287.50 points. The Nasdaq gained 3.06 percent to 12,871.53 points, while Dow rose 1.85 percent to 33,916.39 points. The Facebook parent rose 17.6 percent after the social network reported a larger-than-expected profit and rebounded from a decrease in users.

In Commodities Markets oil settled higher on Thursday on the increased likelihood that Germany will join other European Union member states in an embargo on Russian oil, which could further tighten supplies in the already stressed global crude market. Brent crude futures rose $2.27 to settle at $107.59 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3.3 percent to $105.36. Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,890.90. In other metals, spot silver fell 0.8 percent to $23.10 per ounce, having hit its lowest level since Feb. 11. Platinum rose 0.3 percent to $919.92 per ounce and palladium gained 1.1 percent to $2,227.15.

In European Equity Markets stocks moved further off six-week lows hit last session as forecast-beating results from companies including energy major TotalEnergies and automaker Volvo Car helped set aside worries about slowing global economic growth. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed up 0.6 percent hit by weak advance first quarter U.S. economic growth data as well as higher-than-expected German inflation spurring bets on a quicker pace of monetary tightening by the ECB. Volvo Cars jumped 8 percent after its profit beat analysts’ forecasts as demand for its products remained strong.

In Bond Markets benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose to near their highest levels of the year on Thursday after signs of strength in the U.S. job market outweighed an unexpected decline in economic growth in the first quarter. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 3.1 basis points to 2.849 percent. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up 0.8 basis points to 2.917 percent. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 6.5 basis points at 2.642 percent.