In European Equity Markets indices closed higher Thursday, as concerns over rising trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe showed signs of easing. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.87 percent higher with almost every sector in positive territory. The German DAX was the best performing market, up by 1.83 percent. Autos stocks were the best performers, up 2.58 percent. Airbus rose 4.5 percent after reporting that its second-quarter profit more than doubled. CEO Tom Enders said that he was not seeking a merger of the combat jet activities with BAE Systems.

In Currency Markets the euro fell on Thursday as the European Central Bank clung to its easy monetary policy and signaled no change in its timetable to move away from its ultra low rate policy and to end its asset bond purchase program. The euro was down 0.6 percent at $1.16580 and 0.46 percent lower at 129.525 yen. ECB President Mario Draghi said at a press conference following the ECB’s policy decision while confident about regional inflation achieving ECB’s 2-percent goal, rising tariffs and other trade barriers would hurt the growth of the 19-member economic bloc.

In Commodities Markets oil prices traded broadly unchanged on Thursday after an announcement that Saudi Arabia would suspend some oil shipping in the Red Sea had initially sent prices higher. Brent futures had risen 19 cents to $74.12 a barrel, extending their rally into a third day but slipping from a 10-day high in earlier trading. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 2 cents at $69.28, hovering around Wednesday’s closing level. Earlier in the day, it looked like WTI was set for a third consecutive day of rising prices.

In US Equity Markets a decline in shares of Facebook set the tech-heavy Nasdaq on track to shed about 100 points at the open on Thursday, while S&P and Dow futures got a boost from signs the United States and the European Union will negotiate on trade. Facebook shares fell 20.6 percent after the company said profit margins would plummet for several years due to the costs of improving privacy safeguards and slowing usage in its biggest advertising markets. The Nasdaq 100 was down 0.69 percent and S&P 500 was down 4 points, or 0.14 percent.

In Bond Markets U.S. benchmark Treasury yields fell from six-week highs on Thursday as they hit technical resistance, but remained elevated after an agreement between the United States and European Union on Wednesday eased some trade tensions. Benchmark 10-year notes were fell 7/32 in price on the day to yield 2.962 percent, after reaching 2.976 percent on Wednesday, the highest since June 14. The Treasury Department will sell $30 billion in seven-year notes on Thursday, the final sale of $101 billion in coupon-bearing supply this week.