Dollar gains strength. Interest rates rise in the Eurozone – Markets in a minute

Europe points to gains at opening. Mixed Asia

The main European indices are pointing to an opening in positive territory, after Wall Street also finished higher on Wednesday, supported by greater risk appetite at the end of the first quarter and before the Easter break.

Euro Stoxx 50 futures rise 0.3%.

In Asia, the session was mixed, with gains in China offsetting losses in Japan. The region’s aggregator index, the MSCI Asia Pacific, is on track for the biggest rise in the first quarter in five years.

The Japanese indices were penalized by the fact that the majority of securities were ex-dividend and, therefore, discounted the value of this shareholder remuneration in the price. At the same time, the yen continues to trade at 34-year lows.

Stock markets in China and Hong Kong are on track for their second consecutive month of gains, after heavy losses in January.

In China, the Hang Seng, in Hong Kong, added 0.94% and the Shanghai Composite gained 0.59%. In Japan, the Nikkei lost 1.46% and the Topix fell 1.73%, while in South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.34%.