Stocks, Dollar and Oil prices look solid.
Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
Stocks, Dollar and Oil prices look solid.
Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Global market overview
1. Global market overview
U.S. stock futures are pointing up, indicating markets could have another record-setting day.
Investors have been holding their breath as they watch the Dow Jones industrial average flirt with the record 20,000 level. The Nasdaq hit an all-time high on Tuesday.
Looking abroad, European and Asian markets are mixed. The main standout performer was the ASX All Ordinaries in Australia, which rallied by 1%.
The National Association of Realtors releases November data on pending home sales at 15:00 GMT.
2. USD higher in holiday trade
2. USD higher in holiday trade
The U.S. dollar inched higher against other major currencies amid low-volume holiday trading on Wednesday, with markets focused on the possibility of further U.S. interest rate hikes next year.
Trading is expected to remain thin this week ahead of the New Year holiday.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was up 0.1% at 103.12 by 08:50GMT, not far from last week's 14-year peak of 103.62.
3. Toshiba and Qualcomm in trouble
3. Toshiba and Qualcomm in trouble
Shares in the company dropped another 20% in Tokyo on Wednesday after it warned of billions of dollars in losses related to its takeover of a nuclear business last year.
"We're still figuring out the exact numbers," Toshiba CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa said Tuesday. "I'm deeply sorry about all the concerns and possible damages this unprecedented situation may bring to all the stakeholders."
Toshiba had been working to recover from a $1.2 billion accounting scandal discovered last year. Even after suffering heavy losses this week, its shares are still up 25% in 2016.
Qualcomm is facing an $865 million fine in South Korea.
Qualcomm said the Korea Fair Trade Commission issued the penalty after finding it had violated the country's competition law.
The technology firm called the ruling "unprecedented and insupportable" and said it "lacks a coherent theory of competition law violations."
Qualcomm plans to appeal the decision.
4. Oil prices near 17-months high
4. Oil prices near 17-months high
Oil prices extended strong overnight gains amid thinning pre-New Year holiday trade on Wednesday, less than a week before major global oil producers begin to scale back production in line with the deal they struck last month.
Less oil production means higher prices for oil in the world.
Trading is expected to remain thin this week ahead of the New Year holiday.