(Bloomberg) -- The dollar edged lower and Treasury yields fluctuated as President Donald Trump challenged China over what he called unfair trade practices. European stocks fell after a volatile session in Asian markets, while the euro and bund yields rose after the European Commission lifted its growth forecasts.
Basic-resources shares weighed on the Stoxx Europe 600 index following a decline in industrial-metals prices. The EC’s bullish outlook for the region’s economy failed to lift stocks as disappointing results from companies including Siemens AG (DE:SIEGn) and Vestas Wind Systems A/S added to the malaise. U.S. stock-index futures signaled a lower open as unemployment claims rose more than expected. Equities in Asia earlier climbed above their 2007 peak before a reversal in Japanese shares pared gains in the region. Sterling fluctuated as Brexit talks resumed, while oil halted a two-day drop.
Investor attention has focused on Asia this week, where Trump has embarked on an 11-day tour. In Beijing Thursday, he said China is taking advantage of American workers and companies with unfair trade practices, but he blamed his predecessors in the White House rather than China for allowing the massive U.S. trade deficit to grow. A year after Trump was elected to president, investors are also reflecting on how financial markets have fared in the interim.
Read more: From Circuit Breaker to Record Maker, Trump’s Year in Charts
Meanwhile, Brexit talks resume Thursday in Brussels with no indication that a breakthrough is in reach. The EC said economic growth in the U.K. is headed for a prolonged slowdown even as the euro-area economy is forecast to expand at the fastest pace in a decade this year. And in the U.S., tax reform discussions continue. The Senate is due to release a “conceptual mark” of a proposal Thursday, according to a spokeswoman.
Elsewhere, the New Zealand dollar held onto Wednesday’s gains after the central bank flagged it may raise interest rates earlier than expected. Bitcoin soared to another record after a technology upgrade that was threatening to disrupt the biggest cryptocurrency was called off. Nickel led the slump in industrial metals.
Terminal users can read more in our Markets Live blog.
Here are key events to watch out for this week:
- U.S. consumer sentiment probably cooled in early November from a more than 13-year high; the University of Michigan’s report is out on Friday.
- The Philippines’ central bank announces its rate decision on Thursday.
- A number of central bankers are scheduled to speak today including the ECB’s Benoit Coeure, Yves Mersch, Vitro Constancio and Villeroy de Galhau and Sabine Lautenschlager
And these are the main moves in markets:
Stocks
- The Stoxx Europe 600 Index sank 0.9 percent as of 8:54 a.m. New York time, the biggest decrease in more than 10 weeks.
- The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index fell 0.5 percent to the lowest in more than a week.
- Germany’s DAX Index sank 1 percent to the lowest in more than a week on the biggest tumble in more than 10 weeks.
- Futures on the S&P 500 Index sank 0.5 percent.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 0.2 percent.
- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.1 percent to the highest in about 10 years.
- The MSCI Emerging Market Index dipped less than 0.05 percent.
Currencies
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index declined less than 0.05 percent.
- The euro gained 0.1 percent to $1.1606, the largest gain in a week.
- The British pound fell 0.1 percent to $1.3106.
- The Japanese yen gained 0.3 percent to 113.49 per dollar, the strongest in more than a week on the largest rise in more than a week.
Bonds
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries dipped less than one basis point to 2.33 percent.
- Germany’s 10-year yield climbed four basis points to 0.36 percent.
- Britain’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 1.249 percent.
- Japan’s 10-year yield gained less than one basis point to 0.03 percent.
Commodities
- West Texas Intermediate crude increased 0.1 percent to $56.88 a barrel.
- Gold gained 0.5 percent to $1,287.26 an ounce, the highest in three weeks.
- Copper fell 0.7 percent to $3.08 a pound, the lowest in a month.
