Stocks, dollar gain as Trump weighs future of Fed boss - Markets & Companies
Investors assessed the outlook for US interest rates, fuelled by news that President Donald Trump was considering whether to sack Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell.
The dollar rose against main rivals, also as developments over US tariffs and the earnings season influenced market direction.
"US futures are pointing to a mixed open after markets see-sawed on Wednesday after Trump suggested he could fire... Powell but later went back on the idea," noted Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.
"Earnings continue to dominate with Netflix kicking off results from the tech sector" Thursday.
Tokyo-listed shares in the Japanese owner of convenience store giant 7-Eleven plunged after its Canadian rival pulled out of an almost $50 billion takeover bid.
Investors have walked a cautious line this week as they ascertain the trade outlook. Trump has unveiled a flurry of fresh tariff threats, with the latest being letters to scores of countries notifying them of levies of up to 15 percent.
All three main indices in New York ended in the green Wednesday, with the Nasdaq at another record high, following a brief sell-off after it emerged Trump had raised the idea of firing Powell.
The markets recovered after the president denied he was planning such a move.
The news caused a spike in US Treasury yields amid fears over the central bank's independence and came after Trump spent months lambasting Powell for not cutting interest rates.
The Fed's "Beige Book" survey of economic conditions has meanwhile indicated increasing impacts from the tariffs, with many businesses warning they had passed along "at least a portion of cost increases" to consumers.
Key figures at around 1115 GMT
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 8,969.29 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,792.21
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.8 percent at 24,196.72
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.6 percent at 39,901.19 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 24,498.95 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,516.83 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 44,254.78 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1584 from $1.1641 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3397 from $1.3414
Dollar/yen: UP at 148.62 yen from 147.80 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.45 pence from 86.72 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.2 percent at $68.63 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $66.70 per barrel
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