In European Equity Markets the pan-European Stoxx 600 closed in positive, up 0.25 percent. Major and peripheral bourses in Europe closed mixed, with FTSE100 closing in the red and the German DAX and French CAC closing in positive territory. Shares of Novozymes closed a little over 5 percent, after the biotech firm reported earnings. Looking at its 2018 results, the group said that while it had a “satisfactory” year that was in line with its initial outlook. Reckitt Benckiser fell 3 percent, after the U.K.-listed firm had its rating and target price cut by Jefferies.

In Currency Markets the U.S. dollar rose to a more than five-week high against the euro on Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said economic risks have moved to the downside and near-term data is likely to be weaker than previously anticipated. On Thursday, the ECB left its policy stance unchanged as expected, keeping a rate hike later this year on the table even as the euro zone economy suffers its biggest slowdown in half a decade. The euro was 0.18 percent lower against the dollar at $1.136, after falling as low as $1.1308, its weakest since Dec. 17.

In Commodities Markets oil prices were steady on Thursday as renewed concerns about the global economic outlook offset support from a U.S. threat of sanctions on OPEC member Venezuela. Brent crude was down 10 cents or 0.2 percent at $61.04 a barrel, while U.S. crude rose 15 cents or 0.3 percent to $52.77. Concerns about an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories reported on Wednesday countered gains driven by the possibility of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry. The EIA data is due out later on Thursday, after Wednesday’s release by the API said U.S. crude stocks rose by 6.6 million barrels in the latest week, versus expectations for a fall of 42,000 barrels.

In US Equity Markets the S&P 500 and the Dow fell on Thursday after U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the United States and China were a long way from resolving their trade dispute, while a rally in chip-makers lifted the Nasdaq. Six of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors were in the red. The S&P 500 was down 0.01 percent, at 2,638.37 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.51 percent, at 7,061.78. Texas Instruments Inc was up 4.82 percent after what analysts said were better-than-feared results, although the company warned of weak demand in China.

In Bond Markets Treasury yields fell on Thursday, with the 10-year’s yield hitting a one-week low, as anxiety about slowing global growth and trade tensions between China and the United States renewed safe-haven demand for U.S. government debt. The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes was 3.2 basis points lower at 2.723 percent. It hit a one-week low of 2.708 percent earlier Thursday.