In Asian Equity Markets stocks drifted lower on Friday, with major markets in the region recording slight declines. The Nikkei 225 was nearly flat after four straight sessions of gains. The index last traded higher by 0.01 percent as banking stocks slipped while consumer stocks edged higher. Australian stocks were also little changed, with the S&P/ASX 200 higher by just 0.02 percent. Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi edged down by 0.43 percent as automakers and technology names traded lower, with Samsung Electronics falling 1.28 percent.

In Currency Markets the US dollar traded near a three-week low against peers on Friday as U.S. Treasury yields fell sharply, while the euro’s recovery remained intact amid expectations that the European Central Bank would begin unwinding it stimulus programme. The dollar index versus a basket of six major currencies was little changed at 93.444 after declining 0.3 percent overnight, when it posted its fourth session of losses. The dollar was steady at 109.765 yen after losing 0.45 percent overnight.

In Commodities Markets oil prices were stable on Friday, supported by Venezuela’s struggles to meet its supply obligations and by ongoing output cuts led by producer cartel OPEC, although surging U.S. crude output was looming over markets. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $77.24 per barrel, a notch below their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 9 cents at $66.04 a barrel. Prices were pushed up by supply trouble in Venezuela, where state-owned oil firm PDVSA is struggling to clear a backlog of around 24 million barrels of crude waiting to be shipped to customers.

In US Equity Markets the S&P and Nasdaq fell on Thursday as the technology sector snapped a rally while investors turned to safer bets as they kept an eye on global trade tensions and waited for U.S. and European central bank meetings. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.7 percent, to 7,635.07 after registering three straight closing record highs in the previous sessions. The S&P 500 ended flat. The S&P 500’s Energy index was the biggest gainer out of the benchmark’s 11 major sectors, with a 1.6 percent advance helped by rising oil prices.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields fell on Thursday in a volatile session, reversing the prior day’s sell-off, as safe-haven demand rose on tensions between the United States and its major trade partners ahead of the Group of Seven summit. Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes’ yield was down 4.5 basis points at 2.930 percent after hitting a four-day low at 2.884 percent. It reached a near two-week high at 2.994 percent earlier on Thursday.  The 10-year German Bund yield edged up 0.6 basis point to 0.468 percent following a 9 basis-point jump the day before, which was its biggest one-day rise in nearly a year