Stock market: what moves before opening this Friday

"Uncertainty surrounding trade policy will continue to generate high levels of volatility, but it will not fundamentally change the direction of the markets in the next 12 to 18 months," said Hannah Anderson, strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management.

The New York Stock Exchange was moving towards a near-equilibrium opening.

New York index futures say the Dow Jones is expected in a hedge from 0.11% to 24,922 points, Nasdaq up 0.08% to 7388 points, and the S & P 500 up slightly from 0.06% to 2800 points.

Oil prices fell Friday as investors worried about the trade war between China and the United States and a possible decline in world demand.

Brent North Sea oil barrel for September delivery was worth $ 73.58 on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) d London, down 87 cents from Thursday's close.

New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) trades in light-sweet crude (WTI) for August contract yielded 33 cents to 70.00 dollars.

"In its monthly report, the IEA (International Energy Agency) expects a less robust growth in demand in the second half of 2018," said Benjamin Lu, badyst at Phillip Futures

Background

"Investors welcome all the signals that hope the escalation of protectionist measures will not take place", even if "it's probably a bit too optimistic in the immediate, as recent episodes have demonstrated, "said badysts Aurel BGC.

But it is especially" the day of US banks, "they continued, with the results of JPMorgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo expected before the opening of Wall Street "what will it marks the kick-off of the Q2 publication season. "

Pending these key results, the markets took advantage of the latest Chinese figures" with exports that exceeded expectations despite the entry into force US tariffs on steel and aluminum last month, "said David Madden, an badyst at CMC Markets.

Earned early this week by a good indicator on employment in the United States, markets fell back on Wednesday as the United States drew up an additional list of Chinese imports worth $ 200 billion a year, which they threatened to tax by as much as 10% by September.

Thursday however, the remarks of the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce came to appease the investors somewhat.

The United States must "withdraw the gun" aimed at China and keep its word if they want to have serious discussions for to start the trade war, Wang Shouwen argued in Geneva, who came to lead the Chinese delegation during the periodic review of China's trade policies at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Abroad

The Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges ended Friday higher, driven by hopes that the United States and China will avoid an escalation in the trade war between them, while Shanghai has suffered

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index gained 0.16% (+44.61 points) to 28,525.44 points.

On the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the composite index fell by 0.23% (-6.48 points) to 2,831.18 points in a business volume of 146.3 billion yuan (18.83 billion euros). The index gained 3.1% during the week.

For its part, the composite index of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange gained 0.46% (+7.28 points) to 1,604.45 points, in a trade volume of 219.7 billion yuan. The index rebounded 4.5% during the week

On Thursday, the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets had gained more than 2%, supported by information from state media evoking the strength of the Chinese economy, ability to cope with the open trade war by the United States, and encouraging to invest in the stock market.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended Friday sharply higher, driven by a weakening of the yen against major currencies and worry less investors on trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

After the trade, the Nikkei 225 star stocks gained 1.85% (+409.39 points) to 22,597.35 points, after briefly broke the 2% mark in trading, and the Broad Topix index of all the securities in the first table rose by 1.19% (+20.39 points) to 1,730.07 points.

On the exchange side , the dollar was worth at the same time 112.60 yen, against 112.26 yen game at the close of the Tokyo market, while the euro was 131.30 yen, against 131.06 the day before, favorable guidelines for the purchase of export securities.

On the whole of the week, the Nikkei took 3.71% and the Topix 2.28%.

Yet the Tokyo place vacillated Wednesday after the threat by the United States of a new salvo of tariffs on Chinese goods.

"The trade war is worsening, but the sky has not yet fallen on our heads and optimism resurfaces on the markets" which hope for the resumption of bilateral negotiations between Washington and Beijing, commented in a note Stephen Innes, Analyst at Oanda.

On the Agenda

China recorded a further rise in its trade surplus with the United States last month, the government's administration announced on Friday. Customs, while Washington's deficit vis-à-vis Beijing is at the origin of the trade war between the two countries.

June import prices and household sentiment (University of Michigan) in July in the United States are also on the agenda of the indicators

The American Central Bank (Fed) will publish its bi-annual report on monetary policy.

It is supposed to be the great friend of London but the American president ar riveted Thursday afternoon for a working visit to the UK, seems to take pleasure in targeting the country and its leaders. Donald Trump has launched a virulent attack on Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May's strategy on Brexit, a new departure from the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom, where he is on an official visit.

For a ten-year old golf course scramble, the Scottish Government and US President Donald Trump have fresh relations that the billionaire's arrival in Scotland is unlikely to improve this weekend.

The Air Show Farnborough opens Monday in a context of strong growth of the air sector, in which the main challenge remains to produce more planes to satisfy the demand, in spite of threats like the Brexit or the commercial war.