In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 pared early losses to trade just above the flat line by the close of play, up provisionally by 0.12%. Financial service firms led losses with a 0.6% average fall while the basket of basic resources added just below 1.1%. Dutch brewer Heineken trimmed its profit forecast for the year after a drop in third-quarter sales in the Americas, causing its shares to fall 3.1%. Pandora shares jumped 16% to lead the Stoxx 600 after Carnegie upgraded the Danish jeweler’s stock to “hold” from “sell”, according to Reuters.

In Currency Markets sterling steadied below $1.29 on Wednesday after Britain’s parliament accepted a Brexit withdrawal deal in principle but rejected the government’s tight timetable to legislate on the agreement before a Oct. 31 deadline. Sterling was 0.15% higher to the dollar at $1.2889 after falling 0.62% on Tuesday. It was 0.1% higher to the euro, last trading at 86.26 pence. EU leaders are considering Britain’s request for a Brexit delay, and are expected to grant a three-month extension to the Oct. 31 deadline for its departure.

In Commodities Markets U.S. crude stocks fell last week as refineries hiked output and net imports slid to the lowest on record, while gasoline and distillate inventories declined, the EIA said on Wednesday. Crude inventories fell by 1.7 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 18, compared with analysts’ expectations for an increase of 2.2 million barrels. Refinery crude runs rose by 429,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates rose by 2.1 percentage points.Oil prices rose after the data with both benchmarks up about 1%.

In US Equity Markets indexes were propped up by a rise in shares of Boeing and Apple, but gains were capped as weak earnings from Caterpillar and Texas instruments raised concerns about the impact of the U.S.-China trade war on global growth. Apple Inc shares rose 1%, after Morgan Stanley said the iPhone maker’s soon-to-be-launched video streaming service, Apple TV+, could boost its services revenue. The S&P 500 rose.11%, to 2,999.37 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.04%, to 8,107.50.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields fell for a second straight session on Wednesday, in line with Europe, as investors grew more concerned about persistent uncertainty surrounding Britain’s long-delayed exit from the European Union. German 10-year Bund and British government bond yields fell, pushing Treasury yields lower as well. U.S. 10-year note yields fell to 1.738% from 1.766% late on Tuesday. Yields on 30-year bonds were down at 2.221%, from 2.251% on Tuesday. On the short-end of the curve, U.S. two-year yields were down at 1.567%, from Tuesday’s 1.591%.