Asian shares rallied on Friday, expanding a global surge after ECB signaled more stimulus in December. Japan's Nikkei rose an impressive 406 points, or 2.21% to 18,842. Australia's S&P\ASX 200 index rose 1.79%. China's Shanghai Composite Index was more muted, rising 0.02%. Korea's KOSPI rose 0.89%. India's Nifty index rose 0.61%.
U.S. shares ended yesterday in a lofty place, with Dow Jones rising 1.87% to 17,489. NASDAQ rose 1.65% to 4,920. S&P 500 rose 1.66% to 2,052.
Euro registered the longest fall in nine months against dollar on Thursday. It extended its fall on Friday to a two-month low at 1.1069 before stabilizing and trading at 1.1109. Euro stood at a three-week nadir against Yen at 134.03. Against Sterling it stood at a one-month low of 0.7210, facing an important support line.
Dollar index (DXY) was flat in early Friday trading, standing at 96.41. Dollar fell slightly against sterling after a three-day bull run, it last traded at 1.5404. It touched a four-week high against Yen at 121.00 before easing to 120.63.
Oil futures rose, helped by a resurgent risk sentiment. Brent futures for December are up 8 cents, or 0.16% to $48.33 a barrel. U.S. futures rose 9 cents, or 0.19% to $45.47 a barrel.
Commodity-linked currencies were helped by the rise in oil and metals. Canadian dollar rose for the second day to C$1.3084 per dollar. Australian dollar rose to $.07248.
Risk sentiment also helped Spot gold. It rose $2.10, or 0.18% to $1,168.20 an ounce. Silver gained 4 cents, or 0.27% to $15.88 an ounce.
A raft of PMI reports for the Euro cone countries are released today. French flash Manufacturing PMI is forecast to come at 50.2. French flash services PMI is forecast at 51.9. German flash manufacturing and services PMIs are forecast to come at 51.8, 54 respectively. Surveys for flash manufacturing and services PMIs for the whole Euro zone are also released, forecast to come at 51.8, 53.6 respectively. In all of these PMIs, a reading above 50 indicates expansion, below 50 indicates contraction. Missing the forecasts on these numbers, specially the EU-wide flash PMIs, will have negative impacts on the already battered Euro.
For Canadian dollar traders, Consumer Price Index for September is released; forecast to turn negative at -0.1% m\m. Registering a flat or positive result will rally the loonie.