The U.S. Dollar Index is trading at 99.87 up with +0.16% percent or +0.16 point.The Dow Futures is trading at 29,288.50 up with -0.17% percent or -48.50 point. The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 3,381.38  with a loss of -0.17% percent or -5.87 point.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 9,715.50 with a loss of -0.18% percent or -18.00 point.

TODAY’S FACTORS AND EVENTS

The Japanese yen fell to a 10-month low on Thursday, extending its previous day’s slide that saw the currency breach a key technical level against a broadly strengthening dollar.

A run of dire economic news out of Japan has stirred talk the country is already in recession and that Japanese funds were dumping local assets in favor of U.S. shares and gold.

Improving risk appetite in global markets has also hit the yen, which usually tends to benefit in times of market stress.

PREVIOUS DAY ACTIVITY

For the day the Dow is trading at 28,807.63 up with +1.44% percent or +407.82 point. The S&P 500 is trading at 3,297.59 up with +1.50% percent or +48.67 point. The Nasdaq Composite is trading at 9,467.97 up with +2.10% percent or +194.57 point.

WORLD MARKETS
Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,692.57 up with +0.54% percent or +9.05 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 1,016.31 up with +0.36% percent or +3.64 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 2,098.57 up with +0.45% percent or +9.38 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,518.94 up with +0.52% percent or +7.82 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,984.26 up with +0.49% percent or +9.59 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,875.24 up with +0.48% or +9.00 point