In Asian Equity Markets the Nikkei 225 inched higher by 0.06 percent. The benchmark’s advance was capped as the securities brokerages sector dropped 2.74 percent, with Nomura falling 5.92 percent after it reported net profit in the quarter ending in June fell to 5.2 billion yen ($46.8 million), compared to 56.9 billion yen one year ago. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 recorded convincing gains of 0.89 percent, with the index led higher by the information technology sub-index. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index eased 0.6 percent, with the declines led by a fall in materials.

In Currency Markets the US dollar was firm against its peers on Friday, having regained traction as the euro slid sharply after the European Central Bank kept to its planned timetable to move away from its accommodating monetary policy. The single currency had fallen more than 0.7 percent the previous day after the ECB said it would stay on course to end its 2.6 trillion euro stimulus program this year and keep rates at a record low level through the summer of 2019. The Australian dollar had fallen 1 percent the previous day amid a decline in Chinese equities.

In Commodities Markets oil prices edged down on Friday after three days of gains, but were still supported by Saudi Arabia’s halt on transporting crude through a key shipping lane, falling U.S. inventories and easing trade tensions between Washington and Europe. Brent futures were down 6 cents at $74.48 a barrel, after gaining 0.8 percent on Thursday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were also 6 cents lower, at $69.55, after posting a nearly 0.5-percent gain the previous session.

In US Equity Markets a decline in Facebook Inc’s shares pushed the Nasdaq down more than 1 percent on Thursday, the index’s biggest one-day decline in a month, but industrial stocks rose after the United States and the European Union said they would negotiate on trade. The S&P 500 lost 0.30 percent, to 2,837.47, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.01 percent, to 7,852.19. McDonald’s dipped 2.2 percent after the fast-food chain missed U.S. same-store sales estimates for the first time in at least two years.

In Bond Markets U.S. benchmark Treasury yields traded at six-week highs on Thursday as investors waited for what many analysts expect to be a strong reading of gross domestic product data for the second quarter on Friday. Benchmark 10-year notes fell 10/32 in price on the day to yield 2.971 percent, after earlier rising to 2.976 percent, its highest since June 14. The Treasury Department sold $30 billion in seven-year notes on Thursday to soft demand, the final sale of $101 billion in coupon-bearing supply this week.