Here are 4 tips for today's trading. This will help you decide where you should invest and what to look for:
1. Google and Amazon shine
1. Google and Amazon shine
On Thursday evening, Google parent company Alphabet reported strong earnings, leading shares to leap by about 3% in extended trading.
Amazon also came out with a strong earnings report, posting a record profit in the quarter ending in June, its fifth consecutive profitable quarter. Shares are inching higher premarket in reaction to the news.
On the flip side, Expedia issued an earnings update that displeased investors. Its stock sank in extended trading.
2. Economics
2. Economics
Investors are set to find out how well the U.S. economy performed in the second quarter. The first estimate of national GDP is due at 13:30 GMT from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Economists believe U.S. growth accelerated to 2.1%, compared with a measly 1.1% in the first three months of the year
In Europe, new data show the eurozone economy grew 1.6% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, marking a deceleration from the first quarter. If you look at it another way, the eurozone economy grew by 0.3% compared with the first quarter.
3. Global market overview
3. Global market overview
U.S. stock futures are slipping a bit alongside a drop in crude oil futures, which are declining to trade just under $41 per barrel.
European markets are mostly positive in early trading. British bank Barclays (BCS) is the top performer in London - up about 6% - after the firm reported its latest financial results.
Most Asian markets closed out the week with small losses.
4. USD at 2-weeks lows
4. USD at 2-weeks lows
The dollar fell to fresh two-week lows against the other major currencies on Friday, after the Bank of Japan disappointed market expectations earlier in the session and the Federal Reserve’s inaction on Wednesday, while investors eyed the release of U.S. economic growth data.
