Key Points
- U.S. stocks firm on Friday as pre-weekend position squaring dominates
- U.S. Durable Goods fall 14.4% in March
- Unconfirmed Rumor: North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un has died
Bias: Risk neutral
Commentary
U.S. stocks finished slightly firmer on Friday, with a bounce in tech and financial stocks leading the indexes firmer. An apparent base in oil prices saw short-coverers come in and support the market ahead of the weekend. On the data front, U.S. Durable Goods fell 14.4% in March.
The USD was broadly weaker on Friday, although moves were within tight ranges. Reports that North Korea’s Leader Kim Jung-Un is either brain dead, very sick or dead had little impact on trade, with most players awaiting confirmation.
Oil prices seemed to have found a floor, posting a small bounce on the day on Friday. Gold edged lower, amid light volume trade.
Bias
Expect a very quiet session in Asia today, with the Monday factor, combining with a lack of fresh cues from overnight trade and a complete lack of local data. No range extensions are expected. The BoJ will meet today, with the market expecting further measures from the Japanese Central Bank.