The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 97.54 up with +0.01% percent or +0.01 point.The Dow Futures is trading at 29,123.50  with a loss of -0.05% percent or -13.50 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 3,320.62 up with +0.03% percent or +0.87 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 9,207.62  up with +0.13% percent or +11.87 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The safe-haven Japanese yen firmed and the Chinese yuan weakened on Thursday, as traders kept a wary eye on the spread of a virus in China, while the battered Australian dollar jumped after a surprise drop in unemployment.

Deaths from the flu-like coronavirus stand at 17. Almost 600 people are infected and China has locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, where the outbreak was believed to have originated at an animal market.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 29,186.27 with a loss of –0.033% percent or –9.77  point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,321.75 up with +0.029% percent or +0.96 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 9,383.77 up with +0.14% percent or  +12.96 point.

WORLD MARKETS

Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,684.46 with  a loss of -0.09%  percent or -1.44 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 1,029.52  with a loss of –0.019% percent or −0.20 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 2,082.52 with a loss of –0.020% percent or -0.41 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,486.70 up with +0.069% percent or +1.02  point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,945.04  up with +0.037% percent or +0.71 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,836.28 up with +0.045% or +0.83 point.