In European Equity Markets stocks were steady at 14-month highs on Wednesday, supported by well-received earnings updates from companies such as Lloyds, Telefonica Deutschland and Scor. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended flat, while Germany’s DAX was up 0.3 percent. Lloyds was up 3.3 percent after impressing investors with profits rising to a ten-year high. Telefonica Deutschland rose 2.2 percent after it reported better-than-expected core profit for the fourth quarter and raised its target for synergies from its acquisition of E-Plus, while French insurance company Scor rose 3.2 percent after it raised its dividend and said it planned share buybacks due to a 5.4-percent increase in premiums.

In Currency Markets the euro recovered from its weakest level against the dollar in six weeks on Wednesday after far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s perceived chances of winning fell, reducing concerns given the candidate’s anti-EU stance. The euro was last up 0.2 percent against the dollar at $1.0554. The dollar was last down just 0.2 percent at 113.44 yen after falling as much as 0.7 percent to a session low of 112.91 yen in morning U.S. trading. The Australian dollar edged higher, with Aussie up 0.10 percent at $0.7683, while Kiwi held steady at $0.7157. Sterling edged down 0.16 percent to $1.2451. The dollar index was last flat on the day at 101.370.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell about 1.5 percent on Wednesday on expectations of another rose in U.S. inventories, but they traded close to multi-week highs after OPEC signaled optimism over its deal with other producers to curb output. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude April contract was down 1.5 percent, at $53.50 a barrel. Brent crude was down 1.6 percent, at $55.76, having touched its highest since Feb. 2 at $55.89 in the previous session. Spot gold had edged up 0.1 percent to $1,236.77 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures fell 0.1 percent to $1,238. Spot silver rose 0.2 percent to $17.98 an ounce and platinum shed 0.1 percent to $998.40. Palladium was down 0.9 percent to $772

In US Equity Markets stocks fell at the open on Wednesday, due to losses in the energy sector, a day after climbing to fresh record-highs. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.13 percent, at 20,715.13, the S&P 500 was down 0.18 percent, at 2,361.12 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.13 percent, at 5,858.58. Garmin Ltd earnings results in the latest quarters came in much better than expected, sending shares up 7.6 percent. First Solar shares fell more than 6 percent as the solar-panel maker reported that it swung to a loss on restructuring charges. Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb rose 2.9 percent after news late Tuesday that Carl Icahn has taken a stake in the New York drugmaker.

In Bond Markets U.S. long-dated Treasury debt yields rose from two-week lows on Wednesday, after French centrist presidential candidate Francois Bayrou pulled out of the elections in France and offered an alliance with independent candidate Emmanuel Macron. In morning trade, U.S. 10-year notes were last flat in price to yield 2.429 percent. U.S. 30-year bond prices were down 3/32, yielding 3.043 percent, up from Tuesday’s 3.037 percent.