In Asian Equity Markets indices traded lower Friday morning as investors watched yields on longer duration U.S. Treasurys. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 0.59% as shares of Chinese tech behemoth Tencent fell 1.09%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.18% as shares of index heavyweight and robot maker Fanuc declined 1.63%. The Topix index traded slightly lower. In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.97% following its return from a holiday. Shares of chip-maker SK Hynix fell 1.56% and LG Chem shed 1.55%. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded mostly flat.

In Currency Markets the U.S. dollar held onto gains on Friday after a jump in U.S. retail sales eased concerns about the world’s top economy, but traders cautioned against reading too much into one piece of data given the growing risks to the outlook. The greenback was on course for a weekly gain against safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc, pointing to some respite for frayed nerves after fears of recession and protests in Hong Kong rattled financial markets.

In Commodities Markets crude oil prices rose on Friday after two days of declines, buoyed following data showing a rise in U.S. retail sales helped ease some concerns about a recession in the world’s biggest economy. Brent crude was up 31 cents, or 0.5%, at $58.54 a barrel, after falling 2.1% on Thursday and 3% the previous day. U.S. crude was up 43 cents, or 0.8%, at $54.90 a barrel, having fallen 1.4% the previous session and 3.3% on Wednesday. The price of Brent is still up nearly 10% this year thanks to supply cuts led by the OPEC.

In US Equity Markets seesawed from red to black and back on Thursday as recessionary fears and simmering U.S.-China trade tensions offset upbeat retail sales data. The S&P 500 ended flat at 2,839.93 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.32%, to 7,749.10. Trade-sensitive industrials and tech were down 0.7% and 0.6%. General Electric Co shares fell 12.8% on the heels of a report from whistleblower Harry Markopolos accused the conglomerate of hiding $38.1 billion in potential losses and claimed its cash situation was far worse than disclosed.

In Bond Markets U.S. 30-year Treasury yields fell to a record low below 2% and benchmark 10-year notes dropped to a three-year trough on Thursday amid persistent worries about global trade tensions and economic slowdowns around the world. Yields on U.S. two-year notes also declined, sliding to a nearly two-year low. Yields on 30-year bonds, which fell earlier to fresh record lows of 1.916%, were last at 1.981% from 2.027% on Wednesday.