(Bloomberg) -- Global stocks traded mixed to cap the week as the earnings season continued apace ahead of the latest U.S. jobs data. Treasuries steadied after falling on Thursday, while the dollar edged higher.
The Stoxx Europe 600 drifted, as gains in miners were offset by declines in travel shares. Futures on the S&P 500 Index nudged higher after the benchmark fell Thursday amid concern a U.S.-China trade deal remained elusive. Shares in Hong Kong rose, helped by HSBC Holdings Plc (LON:HSBA) profit topping estimates. Weakness at Macquarie Group Ltd. weighed on Australia’s stock index after the bank said profit will drop slightly this year. Equities in Seoul retreated, though volumes were light across the region with markets in China and Japan still closed.
Traders are searching for the next catalyst for bonds and stocks after recent manufacturing data from China and America signaled global growth remains fragile. Clues on the health of the economic expansion may come Friday with the monthly U.S. employment report. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s assurance this week that officials are “comfortable” with current policy caused a recalibration in interest-rate markets, pushing wagers for a full quarter-point rate-cut from year-end to mid-2020.
Elsewhere, oil was little changed after two days of declines. Copper steadied, still on course for the biggest weekly drop since August.
These are some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
- The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.1 percent as of 8:12 a.m. London time.
- Futures on the S&P 500 Index advanced 0.2 percent.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 percent.
- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell less than 0.05 percent.
- The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 0.1 percent.
Currencies
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.2 percent.
- The euro fell 0.1 percent.
- The MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index fell 0.1 percent.
- The South Korean Won fell 0.3 percent, hitting the weakest in more than two years.
Bonds
- The yield on two-year Treasuries rose less than one basis point to 2.35 percent.
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose one basis point to 2.55 percent.
- Japan’s 10-year yield was unchanged at -0.04 percent.
Commodities
- Gold fell 0.1 percent to $1,269.33 an ounce.
- West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.1 percent to $61.77 a barrel.
- LME copper fell 0.2 percent.
