The major European stock markets opened higher today, seemingly unaffected by the U.S. government shutdown.
At around 09:20 in Lisbon, the EuroStoxx 600 rose 0.55% to 567.71 points.
The Paris and Frankfurt exchanges gained 1.03% and 0.76%, respectively, while Madrid and Milan saw increases of 0.01% and 0.40%.
London was the exception, declining 0.11%.
Lisbon’s stock market reversed its initial trend, with the main index, the PSI, dropping 0.25% to 8,021.52 points, after peaking at 8,041.23 points on Wednesday.
It’s unclear whether the weekly unemployment data will be released today in the U.S., and it seems unlikely that the official employment report will be announced on Friday if the government remains closed.
On monetary policy, the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked President Trump from immediately dismissing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, allowing her to remain in office at least until January 26, when the case will be reviewed.
This decision is seen as a temporary win for Fed independence, according to analysts.
In Europe, Eurostat is set to release the eurozone unemployment rate for August, expected to remain stable near historical lows.
Investors lack guidance from Asian markets for a second day as Chinese exchanges are closed for China’s National Day, but Japan’s Nikkei index rose by 0.42%.
U.S. stock futures are slightly up, in line with Wednesday’s closing trends, showing increases of 0.28% for Nasdaq and 0.04% for the Dow Jones.
On Wednesday, the Dow Jones rose 0.09% to 46,441.10 points, setting a new record since its inception in 1896.
The Nasdaq, composed of high-tech stocks, gained 0.42% to 22,755.16 points, just shy of its all-time high of 22,788.98 points noted on September 22.
In the bond market, the yield on Germany’s 10-year bond increased to 2.714%, up from 2.712%.
In commodities, the price of gold per troy ounce, considered a safe haven, fell to $3,863.60 from its all-time high of $3,871.02 on Wednesday.
Brent crude, the benchmark in Europe for December delivery, is up to $65.44, from $65.35 on Tuesday.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude in the U.S. also gained, rising 0.05% to $61.80 before the market officially opened.
Bitcoin, the most widely traded cryptocurrency, increased 0.98% to $118,725.
The euro climbed to $1.1749 on the Frankfurt forex market, compared to $1.1723 on Wednesday, reaching a new four-year high of $1.1865 on September 16.
