In Asian Equity Markets indices were in negative territory in the morning as oil prices staged a partial recovery. In the Greater China region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.5 percent. The Shanghai composite declined more than 0.4 percent. In Australia, the ASX 200 slipped more than 1 percent in afternoon trade. The energy subindex declined by more than 3 percent and the heavily-weighted financial sub-index was lower by 1.24 percent. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi was also lower by 0.5 percent.

In Currency Markets the euro and sterling climbed higher on Wednesday as investor confidence rose on news Britain had struck a draft divorce deal with the European Union after more than a year of talks. The gains in the euro and sterling led investors to take profits on the U.S. dollar, which retraced from a 16-month high. The British pound traded at $1.3006 on Wednesday, gaining 0.25 percent. The euro currency lost 0.15 percent versus the pound to trade at 0.8690. The euro hit a 6-1/2 month low versus sterling of 0.8653 on Tuesday.

In Commodities Markets oil markets struggled to find their footing on Wednesday after falling by 7 percent the previous session, with surging supply and the specter of faltering demand keeping investors on edge. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $55.54 per barrel, down 15 cents from their last settlement. International benchmark Brent crude oil futures were up 4 cents at $65.51 per barrel. Markets fell by more than 7 percent the previous day. Crude oil has lost over a quarter of its value since early October.

In US Equity Markets the Dow and S&P 500 ended slightly lower on Tuesday following losses in energy shares and Boeing, offsetting a small gain in technology stocks and renewed hopes for progress in trade talks. The Nasdaq ended the session essentially flat as a rebound in tech kept the index out of negative territory. Energy stocks weighed heaviest on the S&P 500, and closed down 2.4 percent. The S&P 500 ended down by 0.15 percent, to 2,722.18. Shares of Tyson Foods Inc fell 5.6 percent, among the biggest percentage losers on the S&P 500, after missing estimates.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields slid to more than one-week lows on Tuesday hurt by a sharp drop in oil prices, which suggested lower inflation going forward and affirmed a gradual pace of interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve. Benchmark U.S. 10-year, 30-year, and two-year yields fell to their lowest since Nov. 2. The Treasury market was closed on Monday for the Veterans Day holiday. Benchmark 10-year note yields fell to 3.150 percent from 3.189 percent late on Friday. Ten-year yields earlier fell to 3.143 percent, a more than one-week low.