In Asian Equity Markets Japan’s Nikkei 225 was slightly down by 0.11 percent, with some autos and tech stocks taking hits. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi was up by 0.55 percent, with the manufacturing and oil sectors primarily contributing to the advance. Greater China markets were down in early trade, with the Shanghai Composite declining 0.29 percent, and the smaller Shenzhen Composite losing 0.45 percent. Stocks in the financials, autos and metals sectors led declines.

In Currency Markets the US dollar fell on Thursday and the euro edged higher, as immediate concerns about global trade tensions ebbed after the United States and the European Union agreed to begin talks to lower tariffs. The euro was up 0.1 percent at $1.1738, extending its rise after gaining 0.4 percent the previous day. The greenback slipped 0.2 percent to 110.750 yen but managed to stay above the previous day’s trough of 110.66. The pound edged up 0.05 percent to $1.3204 following overnight gains of 0.4 percent.

In Commodities Markets brent crude led oil prices higher, extending gains into a third day after Saudi Arabia suspended crude shipments through a strategic Red Sea shipping lane and as data showed U.S. inventories fell to a 3-1/2 year low. Brent crude futures had risen 47 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $74.40 a barrel, after gaining 0.7 percent on Wednesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 5 cents at $69.35 a barrel, after climbing more than 1 percent in the previous session.

In US Equity Markets rose on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump secured concessions from the European Union on trade, while a disappointing quarterly report from Facebook after the bell slammed its stock and threatened to put the brakes on a tech rally. In after-hours trading, however, Facebook shares fell as much as 23 percent after it warned about slowing growth and climbing expenses. The S&P 500 gained 0.91 percent, to 2,846.07 and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.17 percent, to 7,932.24.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury prices were slightly higher on the day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss trade agreements. Benchmark 10-year notes gained 3/32 in price to yield 2.941 percent, down from 2.950 percent on Tuesday. The United States sold $36 billion in five-year notes to strong demand, the second sale of $101 billion in coupon-bearing supply this week. The government will sell $30 billion in seven-year notes on Thursday.