The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 96.23 with a loss of -0.05% percent or -0.05  point. The Dow Futures is trading at 22,912.00 up with +1.12% percent or +253.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,477.75 up with +1.23% percent or +30.00 point.  The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,257.75  up with +1.55% percent or +95.50 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The safe-haven yen weakened versus the dollar on Friday on hopes upcoming U.S.-China trade talks would make some progress, but broader market confidence remained weak amid worries over slowing global growth.

Market sentiment perked up after China confirmed that trade talks with the United States will be held at the vice ministerial level in Beijing on Jan. 7-8. Trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies had rattled financial markets for most of 2018.

The yen weakened 0.5 percent to 108.18 while riskier currencies such as the Australian dollar gained 0.2 percent to $0.7020.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 22,686.22  with  a loss of -2.83% percent or -660.02 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,447.89  with a loss of  -2.48% percent or -62.14 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 6,463.50 with a loss of -3.04% percent or -202.43 point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,330.83   with a loss of -1.85% percent or -25.07 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 832.81  with a loss of -1.83% percent or 15.52  point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,631.56  with a loss of -1.59% percent or -26.37 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,088.03  with a loss of  -2.69% percent or -30.11 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,438.76  with a loss of -2.27% percent or -33.38  point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,351.87   with a loss of -2.34% percent or -32.39 point;