Global stock markets resume rebound, USD continues to underperform

As most of the global stock markets will remain either shut or close early on Monday, today can be called the last regular trading session of 2018. Equity investors head into New Year in good moods as stocks all around the World were surging today. The European session is looking stunning so far with almost every blue chips index from the Old Continent trading over 1% higher. Beginning of the US trading does not look bad either as Dow Jones and S&P 500 are posting modest gains. Technological Nasdaq trails its two other peers.

Swiss franc is the best performing G10 currency today with NOK and JPY lagging not far behind. On the other hand, USD, CAD and NZD are among the weakest. Euro remains more or less unimpressed by the weaker than expected inflation readings from Spain and Germany. However, the main currency pair moved lower for a brief moment in the afternoon in response to Donald Trump’s comments on the Wall and Mexico.

Taking a look at the commodity market one can see a mixed picture. Precious metals are trading higher thanks to USD weakness while oil is pushing modestly higher. So far, natural gas is the worst performing commodity today as it trades over 5% lower at press time. Most of the industrial metals trade lower but copper manages to resist downward pressure and moves higher. Agricultural commodities are advancing with rice being the only exception.

Cryptocurrencies are trying to recoup some of the yesterday’s losses today but the scale of rebound is minor in comparison to, for example, stocks. Capitalization of the whole market hovers around $121.5 billion handle.