The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 97.18  with a loss of -0.24% percent or -0.24 point. The Dow Futures is trading at 27,947.00  up with +0.08% percent or +23.00 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 3,146.12 up  with +0.10% percent or +3.12 point.  The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 8,416.38  with +0.13%  percent or +10.88 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The dollar nursed its steepest losses in weeks on Thursday, as the Federal Reserve’s forecast that it would hold rates through 2020 sparked an unwinding of long positions in the greenback.

Investors were also on edge ahead of Sunday’s deadline for a new round of U.S. tariffs on China, and an European Central Bank (ECB) meeting and the UK election later on Thursday.

The dollar hit its lowest in more than a month against the euro at $1.1143 and stayed there, while sterling drifted higher ahead of the election. Against a basket of currencies the dollar sat at a four-month low of 97.038. The Japanese yen held on to overnight gains at 108.55.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 27,911.30 up with +0.11% percent or +29.58  point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,141.63 up with +0.29% percent or +9.11 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 8,654.05 up with +0.44% percent or +37.87 point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,631.93 up with +0.01%  percent or +0.21 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 999.04  up with +0.017% percent or +0.17 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 2,015.75  up with +0.20% percent or +4.00   point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,400.83 up with +0.29% percent or +4.07 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,841.25 up with +0.25% percent or +4.52 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,735.49 up with +0.26% or +4.55   point.