Asia
China and Japan stock markets fell today. Japan’s Nikkei was the biggest faller in percentage terms, shedding 1.6% or 344 points to just above 21,000 points.
The Shanghai Composite Index dropped back below 3,000 points despite reports of positive developments in the US-China trade talks.
Europe
The pound is softer today after yesterday’s parliamentary votes failed to point a meaningful way out of the Brexit maze. With sterling trading around $1.32 and €1.17, the FTSE 100 is up around 34 points at 7,228.
German inflation numbers are due at 2pm local time today and unemployment numbers are due tomorrow.
France and German indices are moderately higher today, while Spain and Italy are lower.
North America
US futures are mixed for the open on Thursday – yesterday’s futures had predicted a fall at the open but the Dow Jones started strongly.
The standout event in the US economics calendar is the third estimate of fourth-quarter GDP – the economy is now expected to have grown by 2.4% year on year, against a previous reading of a 2.6% rise. Tomorrow sees the release of Canadian GDP figures for January, which are expected to show a year on year gain of 1.5%. US PCE data is due on Friday too.
Mexico is expected to hold overnight interest rates at 8.25% today.