Mixed Global Market Trends

Weaker-than-expected retail sales data from the U.S. and mixed commentary from Fed speakers added uncertainty to the monetary policy outlook as well the global market sentiment. While retail sales in the U.S. plunged, in the U.K it rose the most in three years.

Retail sales in the U.S. dropped 0.8% month-over-month in January, versus a 0.4% rise in December, and worse than market forecasts of a 0.1% fall. Retail sales volumes in the U.K. rebounded by 3.4% month-over-month in January, versus a drop of 3.3% in December and market expectations of a 1.5% gain.

Wall Street Futures are trading mixed. Major European benchmarks are also trading in the green zone, amidst the DAX and the CAC 40 touching a record high. Asian shares finished mostly higher.

The Dollar Index edged up. Bond yields mostly hardened. Crude oil prices declined as demand concerns lingered. Gold prices edged up. Cryptocurrencies are trading mixed.

Here is a glimpse of the major world markets at this hour.

Stock Indexes:

DJIA (US30) at 38,727.20, down 0.12%
S&P 500 (US500) at 5,038.20, up 0.17%
Germany’s DAX at 17,175.30, up 0.75%
U.K.’s FTSE 100 at 7,650.75, up 0.70%
France’s CAC 40 at 7,786.79, up 0.56%
Euro Stoxx 50 at 4,774.15, up 0.65%
Japan’s Nikkei 225 at 38,487.24, up 0.92%
Australia’s S&P ASX 200 at 7,658.30, up 0.69%
China’s Shanghai Composite at 2,865.90, up 1.28% (February 8)
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng at 16,339.96, up 2.48%

Currencies:

EUR/USD at 1.0768, down 0.02%
GBP/USD at 1.2579, down 0.17%
USD/JPY at 150.26, up 0.24%
AUD/USD at 0.6522, down 0.03%
USD/CAD at 1.3481, up 0.13%
Dollar Index at 104.36, up 0.06%

Ten-Year Govt Bond Yields:

U.S. at 4.272%, up 0.75%
Germany at 2.3815%, up 1.25%
France at 2.858%, up 0.81%
U.K. at 4.1115%, up 1.37%
Japan at 0.728%, down 0.48%

Commodities:

Brent Oil Futures (Apr) at $82.34, down 0.63%.
Crude Oil WTI Futures (Mar) at $77.64, down 0.50%.
Gold Futures (Apr) at $2,016.65, up 0.09%.

Cryptocurrencies:

Bitcoin at $51,689.32, down 0.57%
Ethereum at $2,805.97, up 0.81%
BNB…