US stock markets displayed no clear direction on Thursday. The Dow closed with a 0.3% loss, at 44,747 points, while the broader S&P 500 index ended the day with a 0.4% gain, at 6,083 points and the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 index rose 0.5%, to 21,774 points.
Investors are eagerly awaiting the release of the US labor market data on Friday, with forecasts diverging. The uncertainty also surrounds the extent to which the new US President will be able to push through his demand for lower interest rates.
The European common currency, the euro, was slightly weaker on Thursday evening, with one euro costing 1.0389 US dollars and one US dollar being equivalent to 0.9626 euros.
The gold price, after the strong gains of the last few days and a new record high in the day’s trading, showed a weaker trend in the evening, with one fine ounce being valued at $2,856, a 0.4% decline, which is equivalent to €88.40 per gram.
Meanwhile, the oil price fell, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude costing $74.30 at around 22:00 Central European Time on Thursday, a 31-cent or 0.4% decrease from the previous day’s close.