The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 96.86 with a loss of -0.02% percent or -0.02 point. The Dow Futures is trading at 25,578.50 with a loss of -0.34% percent or -87.50 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,764.38 with a loss of -0.26% percent or -7.12 point. The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 7,092.25 with a loss of -0.27% percent or -19.00 point.
TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS
The dollar held gains against its peers on Wednesday, buoyed by better-than-expected data, while the Aussie took a knock after Australia’s economic growth slowed last quarter.
The Australian dollar slipped nearly 0.7 percent to a two-month low of $0.7035 as data earlier in the day reinforced recent evidence of slowing domestic momentum and backed market expectations for a rate cut this year.
Economic growth came in at a disappointing 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter, below an expected 0.3 percent, an outcome sure to keep the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on heightened watch after it abandoned its long-held tightening bias last month.
PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY
For the day the Dow is trading at 25,673.46 with a loss of -0.52% percent or -133.17 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,771.45 with a loss of -0.65% percent or -18.20 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,505.92 with a loss of -0.93% percent or -70.44 point.
WORLD MARKETS
Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,536.82 with a loss of -2.01% percent or -31.46 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 945.78 with a loss of -1.97% percent or -19.05 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,881.47 with a loss of -1.38% percent or -26.30 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,223.14 with a loss of -0.54% percent or -6.61 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,637.11 with a loss of -0.80% percent or -13.15 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,536.47 with a loss of -0.70% percent or -10.86 point.