The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 97.01  with a loss of -0.31% percent or -0.30 point. The Dow Futures is trading at 26,262.00  up with +0.42% percent or +109.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,880.88  up with +0.48% percent or +13.88 point.  The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 7,561.00 up with +0.56%  percent or +41.75 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

Australia’s dollar and the Chinese yuan gained on Wednesday on hopes for an agreement between Beijing and Washington to end their trade conflict.

Reports of progress in trade talks between the United States and China, as well as reassuring factory activity data from both countries, has supported markets in recent days and sent Asian stocks to seven-month highs.

For currency markets, that meant a rebound in the Aussie, long seen as a proxy for China given Australia’s export industries, and China’s yuan.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 26,179.13  with a loss of -0.30% percent or -79.29 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 2,867.24 up with +0.0017% percent or +0.050 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 7,848.69  up with +0.25% percent or +19.78 point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,553.32 with a loss of -0.18% percent or -2.74 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 946.53  with a loss of -0.49% percent or -4.62 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,915.25 with a loss of -0.38% percent or -7.26 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,266.04 up with +0.0095% percent or +0.12 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,689.89   with a loss of -0.017% percent or -0.29 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,588.57  with a loss of -0.0051% or -0.081 point