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Investing.com – Saudi Arabia stocks were higher after the close on Sunday, as gains in the Cement, Petrochemicals and Multi Investment sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All Share gained 0.50%.

The best performers of the session on the Tadawul All Share were The Mediterranean&Gulf Insurance Co (SE:8030), which rose 6.06% or 0.80 points to trade at 14.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Tabuk Cement Co. (SE:3090) added 4.30% or 0.50 points to end at 12.14 and Al Alamiya Cooperative Insurance (SE:8280) was up 3.57% or 1.25 points to 36.25 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Saudi Fisheries Co. (SE:6050), which fell 4.92% or 0.88 points to trade at 17.00 at the close. Dallah Healthcare Holding Company (SE:4004) declined 4.41% or 2.80 points to end at 60.70 and Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance (SE:8311) was down 3.53% or 0.74 points to 20.24.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Saudi Arabia Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.

Shares in Saudi Fisheries Co. (SE:6050) fell to 5-year lows; falling 4.92% or 0.88 to 17.00. Shares in Dallah Healthcare Holding Company (SE:4004) fell to 52-week lows; down 4.41% or 2.80 to 60.70.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 0.57% or 0.40 to $70.72 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in December unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to hit $78.24 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.65% or 7.90 to trade at $1203.40 a troy ounce.

EUR/SAR was down 0.22% to 4.4074, while USD/SAR fell 0.01% to 3.7502.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.34% at 93.79.

Investing.com - Stellar Lumens was trading at $0.29950 by 06:14 (10:14 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Sunday, up 20.52% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage gain since September 23.

The move upwards pushed Stellar Lumens's market cap up to $5.46B, or 2.39% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, Stellar Lumens's market cap was $12.12B.

Stellar Lumens had traded in a range of $0.23883 to $0.29953 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, Stellar Lumens has seen a rise in value, as it gained 43.26%. The volume of Stellar Lumens traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $168.11M or 1.22% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.19368 to $0.29953 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, Stellar Lumens is still down 67.44% from its all-time high of $0.92 set on January 3.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,764.9 on the Investing.com Index, up 0.99% on the day.

Ethereum was trading at $246.43 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 3.35%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $116.85B or 51.08% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while Ethereum's market cap totaled $25.11B or 10.98% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com - XRP was trading at $0.57900 by 10:06 (14:06 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Saturday, down 21.57% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage loss since January 16.

The move downwards pushed XRP's market cap down to $23.06B, or 10.31% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, XRP's market cap was $79.53B.

XRP had traded in a range of $0.49165 to $0.62702 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, XRP has seen a rise in value, as it gained 105.8%. The volume of XRP traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $4.48B or 19.82% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.26706 to $0.78848 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, XRP is still down 82.40% from its all-time high of $3.29 set on January 4.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,688.3 on the Investing.com Index, down 0.62% on the day.

Ethereum was trading at $240.51 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 4.09%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $115.56B or 51.67% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while Ethereum's market cap totaled $24.60B or 11.00% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com - Stellar Lumens was trading at $0.23787 by 09:05 (13:05 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Saturday, down 10.19% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage loss since September 5.

The move downwards pushed Stellar Lumens's market cap down to $4.48B, or 2.00% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, Stellar Lumens's market cap was $12.12B.

Stellar Lumens had traded in a range of $0.23137 to $0.25066 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, Stellar Lumens has seen a rise in value, as it gained 17.07%. The volume of Stellar Lumens traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $162.38M or 0.69% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.19368 to $0.27785 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, Stellar Lumens is still down 74.14% from its all-time high of $0.92 set on January 3.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,686.8 on the Investing.com Index, down 0.69% on the day.

Ethereum was trading at $239.16 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 4.32%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $115.74B or 51.77% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while Ethereum's market cap totaled $24.38B or 10.91% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com - XRP was trading at $0.59142 by 08:42 (12:42 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Saturday, up 10.06% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage gain since September 21.

The move upwards pushed XRP's market cap up to $22.56B, or 10.14% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, XRP's market cap was $79.53B.

XRP had traded in a range of $0.49165 to $0.62702 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, XRP has seen a rise in value, as it gained 101.61%. The volume of XRP traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $4.60B or 19.83% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.26706 to $0.78848 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, XRP is still down 82.02% from its all-time high of $3.29 set on January 4.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,699.8 on the Investing.com Index, down 0.50% on the day.

Ethereum was trading at $240.57 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 5.70%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $115.55B or 51.93% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while Ethereum's market cap totaled $24.36B or 10.95% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com – Peru stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the S&P Lima Juniors, Mining and Industrials sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Lima, the S&P Lima General gained 0.60%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P Lima General were Panoro (LM:PML), which rose 9.76% or 0.016 points to trade at 0.180 at the close. Meanwhile, Relapasa (LM:REL) added 8.00% or 0.012 points to end at 0.162 and Sider (LM:SID) was up 5.77% or 0.030 points to 0.550 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Grana Y Monter (LM:GRA), which fell 6.11% or 0.110 points to trade at 1.690 at the close. PPX Mining Corp (LM:PPX) unchanged 2.90% or 0.00 points to end at 0.07 and Aceros Arequip (LM:AREi) was down 1.47% or 0.010 points to 0.670.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Lima Stock Exchange by 17 to 6 and 11 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 0.57% or 0.40 to $70.72 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November fell 0.03% or 0.02 to hit $78.68 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.65% or 7.90 to trade at $1203.40 a troy ounce.

USD/PEN was down 0.29% to 3.2898, while EUR/PEN fell 0.46% to 3.8638.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.34% at 93.79.

Investing.com – Mexico stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Consumer Goods&Services, Healthcare and Telecoms Services sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Mexico, the S&P/BMV IPC lost 0.36%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/BMV IPC were Grupo Mexico, S.A.B. De C.V. (MX:GMEXICOB), which rose 5.17% or 2.710 points to trade at 55.150 at the close. Meanwhile, Grupo Carso, S.A.B. De C.V. (MX:GCARSOA1) added 4.35% or 2.650 points to end at 63.500 and Industrias Penoles Sab De CV (MX:PENOLES) was up 4.03% or 13.66 points to 352.60 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Gentera SAB de CV (MX:GENTERA), which fell 2.75% or 0.530 points to trade at 18.710 at the close. El Puerto De Liverpool Sab De CV (MX:LIVEPOLC1) declined 2.44% or 3.46 points to end at 138.43 and Grupo Aeroportuario Del CentroNorte (MX:OMAB) was down 2.04% or 2.700 points to 129.420.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Mexico Stock Exchange by 146 to 131 and 15 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.64% or 7.80 to $1203.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.74% or 0.52 to hit $70.84 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.08% or 0.06 to trade at $78.76 a barrel.

USD/MXN was down 0.12% to 18.8090, while EUR/MXN fell 0.32% to 22.1055.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.33% at 93.78.

Investing.com – U.S. stocks were mixed after the close on Friday, as gains in the Telecoms, Oil&Gas and Utilities sectors led shares higher while losses in the Technology, Financials and Consumer Services sectors led shares lower.

At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.32% to hit a new all time high, while the S&P 500 index declined 0.04%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 0.51%.

The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), which rose 2.80% or 4.51 points to trade at 165.30 at the close. Meanwhile, Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) added 1.74% or 0.83 points to end at 48.56 and Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX) was up 1.43% or 1.71 points to 121.13 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), which fell 1.14% or 0.54 points to trade at 46.66 at the close. Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) declined 1.09% or 1.22 points to end at 110.40 and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was down 1.08% or 2.37 points to 217.66.

The top performers on the S&P 500 were IPG Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ:IPGP) which rose 4.17% to 169.34, American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) which was up 4.08% to settle at 43.60 and Under Armour Inc C (NYSE:UA) which gained 3.03% to close at 18.700.

The worst performers were Darden Restaurants Inc (NYSE:DRI) which was down 3.06% to 112.89 in late trade, Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) which lost 2.87% to settle at 44.74 and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE:CMG) which was down 2.65% to 467.37 at the close.

The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Cool Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:AWSM) which rose 80.95% to 19.000, Astrotech Corp (NASDAQ:ASTC) which was up 71.47% to settle at 5.590 and Netlist Inc (NASDAQ:NLST) which gained 49.12% to close at 0.650.

The worst performers were GTX Inc (NASDAQ:GTXI) which was down 92.27% to 1.8000 in late trade, Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:TTNP) which lost 56.67% to settle at 0.2167 and Bio Path Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BPTH) which was down 36.46% to 0.610 at the close.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 1518 to 1495 and 143 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1458 fell and 1141 advanced, while 114 ended unchanged.

Shares in Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 1.74% or 0.83 to 48.56. Shares in Cool Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:AWSM) rose to 52-week highs; up 80.95% or 8.500 to 19.000. Shares in GTX Inc (NASDAQ:GTXI) fell to 3-years lows; down 92.27% or 21.4900 to 1.8000. Shares in Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:TTNP) fell to 5-year lows; down 56.67% or 0.2834 to 0.2167. Shares in Bio Path Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:BPTH) fell to 5-year lows; falling 36.46% or 0.350 to 0.610.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 2.03% to 11.56 a new 1-month low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.65% or 7.90 to $1203.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.74% or 0.52 to hit $70.84 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.06% or 0.05 to trade at $78.75 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.20% to 1.1753, while USD/JPY rose 0.08% to 112.57.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.33% at 93.78.

Investing.com – Canada stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Healthcare, Clean Technology and Consumer Discretionary sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Toronto, the S&P/TSX Composite declined 0.16%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/TSX Composite were AltaGas Ltd (TO:ALA), which rose 5.87% or 1.24 points to trade at 22.35 at the close. Meanwhile, Gibson Energy Inc . (TO:GEI) added 5.12% or 1.01 points to end at 20.75 and Uni-Select Inc. (TO:UNS) was up 4.97% or 1.05 points to 22.18 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Trican Well Service Ltd . (TO:TCW), which fell 6.17% or 0.150 points to trade at 2.280 at the close. Alacer Gold Corp (TO:ASR) declined 4.65% or 0.100 points to end at 2.050 and Sandstorm Gold Ltd . (TO:SSL) was down 4.24% or 0.210 points to 4.740.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 582 to 518 and 136 ended unchanged.

Shares in Trican Well Service Ltd. (TO:TCW) fell to 52-week lows; losing 6.17% or 0.150 to 2.280. Shares in Gibson Energy Inc. (TO:GEI) rose to 3-years highs; rising 5.12% or 1.01 to 20.75.

The S&P/TSX 60 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/TSX Composite options, was down 1.01% to 12.78.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.64% or 7.80 to $1203.50 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.74% or 0.52 to hit $70.84 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.06% or 0.05 to trade at $78.75 a barrel.

CAD/USD was down 0.13% to 0.7740, while CAD/EUR rose 0.06% to 0.6585.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.33% at 93.78.

Investing.com – Colombia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Financials, Investment and Industrials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Colombia, the COLCAP declined 0.19%.

The best performers of the session on the COLCAP were Conconcret (CN:CIC), which rose 5.56% or 20.0 points to trade at 380.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Almacenes Exito SA (CN:IMI) added 6.21% or 900.0 points to end at 15400.0 and Interconnection Electric SA ESP (CN:ISA) was up 4.45% or 580.0 points to 13600.0 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Cementos Argos Pf (CN:CCB_p), which fell 3.95% or 260.0 points to trade at 6330.0 at the close. Pfgrupoarg (CN:ARG_p) declined 5.33% or 800.0 points to end at 14200.0 and Cemex Latam Holdings SA (CN:CLH) was down 2.96% or 170.0 points to 5580.0.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Colombia Stock Exchange by 16 to 15 and 2 ended unchanged.

Shares in Cementos Argos Pf (CN:CCB_p) fell to all time lows; losing 3.95% or 260.0 to 6330.0. Shares in Pfgrupoarg (CN:ARG_p) fell to 52-week lows; losing 5.33% or 800.0 to 14200.0.

US coffee C for December delivery was up 0.37% or 0.37 to $99.75 . Elsewhere in commodities trading, US cocoa for delivery in December fell 2.06% or 45.50 to hit $2160.50 , while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.67% or 8.10 to trade at $1203.20 a troy ounce.

USD/COP was down 0.61% to 3003.45, while BRL/COP fell 0.01% to 741.65.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.32% at 93.77.

Investing.com - WTI crude oil prices settled higher Friday, as traders cheered signs of tightening U.S. output, though sentiment was soured by a report suggesting major oil producers were ready to discuss plans to ramp up output.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude futures for November delivery rose 46 cents to settle at $70.78 a barrel, while on London's Intercontinental Exchange, Brent gained 0.09% to trade at $78.77 a barrel.

Oilfield services firm Baker Hughes reported on Friday that the number of U.S. oil drilling rigs in operation rose by 1 to 866 this week.

The fall in rig counts, pointing to signs of tightening crude output, did little to calm fears that major oil producers would discuss ramping up output in a bid to offset an expected drop in Iranian crude exports as U.S. sanctions loom. OPEC and non-OPEC countries are set to gather at a meeting in Algiers over the weekend.

“There are discussions to increase production by another 500,000 (barrels a day) bpd. They (OPEC and non-OPEC) can increase output when they meet in December,” Reuters reported, citing a source.

President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement in May, allowing sanctions against Iran to snap back into place. The first wave of sanctions went into effect last month and a second set of sanctions on Iran's crude exports are slated for early November.

Crude oil prices fell sharply on the report, but clawed back losses amid ongoing expectations that oil prices had further room to advance.

JPMorgan raised its fourth-quarter Brent forecast by $22 a barrel to $85 and fourth-quarter WTI forecast by $19.80 a barrel to $75.83.

Crude oil prices settled higher for the second week in row Friday, after wild ride, as oil prices came under attack following remarks from Trump on Thursday.

Trump demanded OPEC find a way slash oil prices just days after Saudi officials reportedly said they would be comfortable with oil prices above $80 a barrel.

Yet that did little to knock gains from earlier in the week following a bullish petroleum report.

Inventories of U.S. crude fell by 2.057 million barrels for the week ended Sept. 14, missing expectations for a draw of 2.74 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

Investing.com - The dollar rose against its rivals on Friday, as investors reined in appetite for emerging-market currencies, while the pound racked up losses as the UK and EU reached an "impasse," on a post-Brexit deal.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, rose by 0.40% to 93.84.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May criticized the EU for rejecting her post-Brexit plans, citing it "unacceptable," particularly as the bloc failed to put forward alternative proposals.

May further claimed that the UK and EU were at an "impasse,” denting optimism for a post-Brexit deal agreement following recent reports that the EU were set to adopt a warmer approach to Brexit talks.

GBP/USD fell 1.41% to $1.3075, eroding most of the week's gain as the pair looks set to end the week roughly flat.

The dollar was also supported by profit-taking on emerging-market currencies like the South African rand and Turkish lira, both of which have enjoyed sharp gains on the back of improving sentiment in developing economies.

Turkey unveiled a new economic program earlier this week to reduce its current account deficit, while South Africa's central bank stood pat on interest rates Thursday.

Elsewhere, EUR/USD fell 0.29% to $1.1743 on weaker-than-expected eurozone manufacturing data. The single currency was set, however, to post a second-straight weekly gain ahead of an important week, as the Italian government is slated to release its budget on Thursday.

USD/CAD rose 0.11% to C$1.2917 amid doubts over a successful outcome on U.S.-Canada talks after White House Economic Adviser Hassett reportedly said U.S.was nearing a deal on NAFTA with Mexico, but not Canada.

Analysts said the loonie would likely continue to trade around current levels as Canadian core inflation remains subdued.

"Unless we see a major uptick in core inflation dynamics, then we think markets are adequately pricing in only one further Bank of Canada rate hike in 2018," ING said.

USD/JPY rose 0.08% to Y112.57. The pair is likely to continue to strengthen, supported by rising U.S. treasury bond yields, Saxo Bank said.

"Rising U.S. long yields in an environment of strong risk appetite are driving the losses in the yen," said John J Hardy, head of forex strategy at Saxo Bank

Investing.com – Nigeria stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Food, Beverages&Tobacco, Oil&Gas and Banking sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Lagos, the NSE 30 added 0.61%.

The best performers of the session on the NSE 30 were Unilever Nig (LAGOS:UNILEVE), which rose 8.84% or 3.80 points to trade at 46.80 at the close. Meanwhile, Pz Cussons LG (LAGOS:PZ) added 8.00% or 1.00 points to end at 13.50 and Uacn Prop (LAGOS:UACN) was up 6.31% or 0.70 points to 11.80 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Union Bank LG (LAGOS:UBN), which fell 9.48% or 0.55 points to trade at 5.25 at the close. Wemabank (LAGOS:WEMABAN) declined 5.00% or 0.030 points to end at 0.570 and Total Nig (LAGOS:TOTAL) was down 4.06% or 7.70 points to 182.00.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Lagos by 46 to 44 and 16 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 1.17% or 0.82 to $71.14 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November rose 0.33% or 0.26 to hit $78.96 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.69% or 8.40 to trade at $1202.90 a troy ounce.

EUR/NGN was up 0.35% to 426.960, while USD/NGN unchanged 0.00% to 362.500.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.37% at 93.82.

Investing.com – Morocco stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Invest Companies&Other Finance, Food Producers&Processors and Holding Companies sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Casablanca, the Moroccan All Shares declined 0.02%.

The best performers of the session on the Moroccan All Shares were Alliances (CS:ADI), which rose 6.03% or 6 points to trade at 100 at the close. Meanwhile, Colorado (CS:COL) added 4.27% or 2.99 points to end at 72.99 and Agma Lahlou-Tazi (CS:AGMA) was up 3.46% or 97 points to 2900 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Salafin (CS:SLF), which fell 8.57% or 90 points to trade at 960 at the close. Jet Contractors (CS:JET) declined 7.41% or 25.65 points to end at 320.35 and SMI (CS:SMI) was down 5.63% or 90 points to 1510.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 21 to 16 and 10 ended unchanged.

Shares in SMI (CS:SMI) fell to 5-year lows; losing 5.63% or 90 to 1510.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 1.48% or 1.04 to $71.36 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November rose 0.41% or 0.32 to hit $79.02 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.72% or 8.70 to trade at $1202.60 a troy ounce.

EUR/MAD was down 0.08% to 10.9980, while USD/MAD rose 0.22% to 9.3655.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.39% at 93.83.

Investing.com – Russia stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Telecoms, Mining and Oil&Gas sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Moscow, the MOEX Russia gained 1.08% to hit a new all time high.

The best performers of the session on the MOEX Russia were Surgut-pref (MCX:SNGS_p), which rose 3.76% or 1.400 points to trade at 38.600 at the close. Meanwhile, AFK Sistema (MCX:AFKS) added 3.62% or 0.315 points to end at 9.010 and Trubnaya Metallurgicheskaya Kompaniya OAO (MCX:TRMK) was up 3.42% or 2.35 points to 71.15 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were SG mechel (MCX:MTLR), which fell 5.17% or 5.70 points to trade at 104.60 at the close. PhosAgro ao (MCX:PHOR) declined 3.23% or 87.0 points to end at 2603.0 and Safmar Finansovye Investitsii PAO (MCX:SFIN) was down 2.05% or 15.4 points to 734.6.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Moscow Stock Exchange by 118 to 87 and 20 ended unchanged.

Shares in Surgut-pref (MCX:SNGS_p) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.76% or 1.400 to 38.600.

The Russian VIX, which measures the implied volatility of MOEX Russia options, was down 0.12% to 24.760.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.77% or 9.30 to $1202.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 1.01% or 0.71 to hit $71.03 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.03% or 0.02 to trade at $78.72 a barrel.

USD/RUB was up 0.44% to 66.5619, while EUR/RUB rose 0.15% to 78.1600.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.39% at 93.83.

Investing.com – Netherlands stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Telecoms, Oil&Gas and Consumer Goods sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Amsterdam, the AEX added 0.43%.

The best performers of the session on the AEX were Altice NV (AS:ATCA), which rose 2.51% or 0.06 points to trade at 2.29 at the close. Meanwhile, Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (AS:AD) added 2.04% or 0.386 points to end at 19.318 and Aalberts Industries NV (AS:AALB) was up 1.89% or 0.70 points to 37.70 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were WFD Unibail Rodamco NV (AS:URW), which fell 2.07% or 3.66 points to trade at 172.80 at the close. Galapagos NV (AS:GLPG) declined 1.10% or 1.080 points to end at 96.760 and Randstad NV (AS:RAND) was down 0.99% or 0.48 points to 48.02.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange by 68 to 51 and 17 ended unchanged.

Shares in Randstad NV (AS:RAND) fell to 52-week lows; falling 0.99% or 0.48 to 48.02.

The AEX Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of AEX options, was down 4.35% to 11.41.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 1.01% or 0.71 to $71.03 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November rose 0.03% or 0.02 to hit $78.72 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.76% or 9.20 to trade at $1202.10 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was down 0.29% to 1.1743, while EUR/GBP rose 1.18% to 0.8980.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.39% at 93.83.

Investing.com – Spain stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Consumer Services, Consumer Goods and Building&Construction sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Madrid, the IBEX 35 rose 0.07%.

The best performers of the session on the IBEX 35 were Aena SME SA (MC:AENA), which rose 3.26% or 4.75 points to trade at 150.45 at the close. Meanwhile, ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA (MC:ACS) added 2.80% or 1.030 points to end at 37.830 and Mediaset ESP (MC:TL5) was up 2.40% or 0.156 points to 6.666 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Caixabank SA (MC:CABK), which fell 3.60% or 0.150 points to trade at 4.020 at the close. Viscofan (MC:VIS) declined 3.34% or 2.150 points to end at 62.300 and Indra A (MC:IDR) was down 3.19% or 0.315 points to 9.565.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Madrid Stock Exchange by 90 to 88 and 22 ended unchanged.

Shares in ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA (MC:ACS) rose to 5-year highs; rising 2.80% or 1.030 to 37.830.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.76% or 9.20 to $1202.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.97% or 0.68 to hit $71.00 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.06% or 0.05 to trade at $78.75 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.28% to 1.1744, while EUR/GBP rose 1.19% to 0.8981.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.37% at 93.82.

Investing.com – Finland stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Financials, Basic Materials and Technology sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Helsinki, the OMX Helsinki 25 rose 0.94%.

The best performers of the session on the OMX Helsinki 25 were Stora Enso Oyj R (HE:STERV), which rose 3.58% or 0.565 points to trade at 16.330 at the close. Meanwhile, DNA Oyj (HE:DNAO) added 2.64% or 0.5000 points to end at 19.4600 and Outotec Oyj (HE:OTE1V) was up 2.06% or 0.118 points to 5.840 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Amer Sports Corporation (HE:AMEAS), which fell 2.14% or 0.76 points to trade at 34.78 at the close. Metso Oyj (HE:METSO) declined 0.70% or 0.21 points to end at 29.70 and Outokumpu Oyj (HE:OUT1V) was down 0.45% or 0.0240 points to 5.2940.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Helsinki Stock Exchange by 83 to 56 and 22 ended unchanged.

Brent oil for November delivery was up 0.23% or 0.18 to $78.88 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 1.08% or 0.76 to hit $71.08 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.79% or 9.60 to trade at $1201.70 a troy ounce.

EUR/USD was down 0.31% to 1.1741, while EUR/GBP rose 1.19% to 0.8981.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.42% at 93.86.

Investing.com – Germany stocks were mixed after the close on Friday, as gains in the Software, Utilities and Insurance sectors led shares higher while losses in the Food&Beverages, Technology and Retail sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Frankfurt, the DAX rose 0.85%, while the MDAX index climbed 0.07%, and the TecDAX index fell 0.28%.

The best performers of the session on the DAX were E.ON SE NA (DE:EONGn), which rose 3.64% or 0.316 points to trade at 8.992 at the close. Meanwhile, SAP SE (DE:SAPG) added 2.42% or 2.460 points to end at 104.100 and BASF SE NA O.N. (DE:BASFN) was up 1.63% or 1.310 points to 81.630 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Infineon Technologies AG NA O.N. (DE:IFXGn), which fell 1.37% or 0.280 points to trade at 20.100 at the close. Fresenius Medical Care KGAA ST (DE:FMEG) declined 1.20% or 1.060 points to end at 86.920 and Covestro AG (DE:1COV) was down 1.12% or 0.820 points to 72.420.

The top performers on the MDAX were Kion Group AG (DE:KGX) which rose 4.33% to 56.36, Metro Wholesale&Food Specialist AG (DE:B4B) which was up 2.34% to settle at 14.0050 and Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (DE:JUNG_p) which gained 2.33% to close at 33.400.

The worst performers were Osram Licht AG (DE:OSRn) which was down 2.27% to 38.32 in late trade, Hugo Boss AG NA O.N. (DE:BOSSn) which lost 1.96% to settle at 66.040 and Fielmann AG (DE:FIEG) which was down 1.82% to 53.950 at the close.

The top performers on the TecDAX were Drillisch AG (DE:DRIG) which rose 3.68% to 42.840, SMA Solar Technology AG (DE:S92G) which was up 2.23% to settle at 30.320 and Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG (DE:O2Dn) which gained 1.43% to close at 3.545.

The worst performers were Isra Vision O.N. (DE:ISRG) which was down 2.81% to 45.00 in late trade, Nemetschek AG O.N. (DE:NEKG) which lost 2.51% to settle at 124.300 and S&T AG (DE:SANT1) which was down 2.47% to 25.26 at the close.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by 407 to 304 and 70 ended unchanged.

Shares in Hugo Boss AG NA O.N. (DE:BOSSn) fell to 52-week lows; down 1.96% or 1.320 to 66.040.

The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, was down 3.39% to 13.44 a new 3-months low.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.78% or 9.40 to $1201.90 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.94% or 0.66 to hit $70.98 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.24% or 0.19 to trade at $78.89 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.30% to 1.1742, while EUR/GBP rose 1.22% to 0.8983.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.41% at 93.85.

Investing.com – Poland stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Banking, Chemicals and Developers sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Warsaw, the WIG30 lost 0.04%.

The best performers of the session on the WIG30 were PKP Cargo (WA:PKPP), which rose 4.47% or 2.05 points to trade at 47.90 at the close. Meanwhile, KGHM Polska Miedz SA (WA:KGH) added 2.64% or 2.31 points to end at 89.97 and CCC SA (WA:CCCP) was up 2.18% or 4.80 points to 224.60 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Energa SA (WA:ENGP), which fell 2.81% or 0.22 points to trade at 7.61 at the close. Eurocash SA (WA:EUR) declined 2.54% or 0.50 points to end at 19.20 and Enea SA (WA:ENAE) was down 2.47% or 0.19 points to 7.51.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Warsaw Stock Exchange by 218 to 201 and 203 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for November delivery was up 0.46% or 0.32 to $70.64 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November rose 0.14% or 0.11 to hit $78.81 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.83% or 10.00 to trade at $1201.30 a troy ounce.

EUR/PLN was up 0.29% to 4.3031, while USD/PLN rose 0.61% to 3.6655.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.41% at 93.85.

Investing.com – Turkey stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Chemical, Petroleum&Plastic, Wood, Paper&Printing and Banking sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Istanbul, the BIST 100 rose 1.94% to hit a new 1-month high.

The best performers of the session on the BIST 100 were Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (IS:TUPRS), which rose 5.60% or 7.20 points to trade at 135.70 at the close. Meanwhile, Tumosan Motor ve Traktor Sanayi AS (IS:TMSN) added 4.58% or 0.220 points to end at 5.020 and Gozde Girisim Sermayesi Yatirim Ortakligi AS (IS:GOZDE) was up 4.00% or 0.100 points to 2.600 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Anadolu Efes Biracilik ve Malt Sanayi AS (IS:AEFES), which fell 2.56% or 0.58 points to trade at 22.08 at the close. Ipek Dogal Enerji Kaynaklari Arastirma ve Uretim AS (IS:IPEKE) declined 2.35% or 0.120 points to end at 4.990 and Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik Isletmeleri AS (IS:KOZAA) was down 1.98% or 0.120 points to 5.930.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Istanbul Stock Exchange by 245 to 97 and 66 ended unchanged.

Shares in Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (IS:TUPRS) rose to all time highs; gaining 5.60% or 7.20 to 135.70.

Gold Futures for December delivery was down 0.83% or 10.00 to $1201.30 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in November rose 0.33% or 0.23 to hit $70.55 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract rose 0.03% or 0.02 to trade at $78.72 a barrel.

USD/TRY was up 1.23% to 6.2765, while EUR/TRY rose 0.80% to 7.3731.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.43% at 93.87.

Investing.com - AT&T (NYSE:T) led telecom stocks higher in midday trading, while financial stocks retreated on the last day of a strong week.

AT&T rose about 2% at 12:00 PM ET (16:00 GMT).

The stock was boosted by an upgrade from UBS, which raised the stock to buy from neutral, according to published reports. UBS raised its price target to $38 from $33 and said the company should return to growth in earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the second half.

Sentiment was also buoyed by the company after it asked a federal appeals court to reject the Justice Department’s challenge of its acquisition of Time Warner.

AT&T was one of several strong performers in the S&P Telecom Sector index, which was up about 1.5%.

With bond yields retreating today, telecoms tend to outperform as their dividends become more attractive.

But there is an argument that AT&T will diverge from that sector when, as expected, the Time Warner deal goes through and that it will be looked on as more of a content and tech play.

The rise in bonds and corresponding retreat in yields also impacted the financial stocks, which are down but still on track for a strong week.

The S&P Financial Sector index, which hit levels not seen since the first quarter recently, was down about 0.2%.

Moody's (NYSE:MCO) was the biggest loser in the index, falling about 2%.

Investing.com - The U.S. dollar rallied against other currencies on Friday, while the pound continued to fall amid Brexit woes.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six major currencies, rose 0.40% to 93.84 as of 11:46 AM ET (15:46 GMT).

Earlier in the week China said it will impose new tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion, effective Sept. 24. The new tariffs are in response to U.S. tariffs on Monday of 10% on $200 billion in Chinese goods, which will go up to 25% at the end of the year.

Elsewhere, the dollar rose against the safe-haven yen, with USD/JPY up 0.11% to 112.60 despite Japan’s inflation data coming in at an unexpected seven-month high.

Sterling fell to an intraday low after Prime Minister Theresa May said that the UK and European Union were at an impasse in Brexit negotiations, bringing fresh fears of a no-deal Brexit. May said talks stalled after the EU rejected the UK’s proposals without offering an alternative.

EU countries and the UK Parliament must approve any agreement prior to the March 29 official exit date.

GBP/USD fell 1.43% to 1.3071.

EUR/USD dipped 0.29% to 1.1742 due to a higher dollar and data that showed the eurozone manufacturing PMI came in lower than expected.

The Australian dollar was lower, with AUD/USD down 0.16% to 0.7280. Meanwhile NZD/USD jumped 1.04% to 0.6679 after Moody's reaffirmed the country’s AAA rating.

Investing.com - Stellar Lumens was trading at $0.26561 by 10:26 (14:26 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Friday, up 20.21% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage gain since January 3.

The move upwards pushed Stellar Lumens's market cap up to $4.92B, or 2.19% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, Stellar Lumens's market cap was $12.12B.

Stellar Lumens had traded in a range of $0.23071 to $0.26705 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, Stellar Lumens has seen a rise in value, as it gained 30.06%. The volume of Stellar Lumens traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $154.88M or 0.78% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.19368 to $0.26705 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, Stellar Lumens is still down 71.13% from its all-time high of $0.92 set on January 3.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,733.5 on the Investing.com Index, up 4.73% on the day.

XRP was trading at $0.61959 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 41.14%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $116.11B or 51.68% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while XRP's market cap totaled $24.35B or 10.84% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com - Wall Street opened at record highs Friday, despite chipmakers and other producers warning that the White House’s trade war with China could cut into their margins.

The S&P 500 rose 5 points, or 0.19%, to 2,938.11 as of 10:08 AM ET (14:08 GMT), while the Dow increased 45 points, or 0.17%, to 26,702.90 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 13 points, or 0.17%, to 8,042.10.

Semiconductor maker Micron (NASDAQ:MU) warned on Thursday that the company's gross margins will suffer due to tariffs between the U.S. and China. Meanwhile, retailer Walmart (NYSE:WMT) warned that it may have to increase prices due to the tariffs. Micron fell 2.87%, while Walmart inched up 0.25%.

Trade tensions escalated this week, as China said it would impose new tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion, effective Sept. 24, while the U.S. imposed a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods, which will go up to 25% at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) rose 1.11%, while AT&T (NYSE:T) gained 1.73% and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) increased 1.17%.

Medical marijuana company Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) slumped 28.69%, while Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) inched down 0.09% and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) fell 0.23% after reports that the luxury carmaker is losing another executive.

In Europe stocks were up. Germany’s DAX rose 67 points, or 0.55%,while in France the CAC 40 increased 40 points, or 0.75%, and in London the FTSE 100 was up 118 points, or 1.61%. Meanwhile the pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 gained 19 points, or 0.58%, while Spain’s IBEX 35 fell 12 points, or 0.13%.

In commodities, gold futures inched down 0.75% to $1,202.20 a troy ounce, while crude oil futures jumped 1.21% to $71.17 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, rallied 0.37% to 93.82.

Investing.com - U.S. private sector activity slowed to a 17-month low in September, according to survey data released on Friday.

IHS Markit’s composite output index, which measures the combined output of both the manufacturing and service sectors, fell to 53.4 this month from 54.7 in August.

The services purchasing managers’ index came in at 52.9 this month, down from 54.8 in August.

Economists had forecast the index to slip only to 55.0.

However, the manufacturing PMI rose to 55.6 in September, compared to 54.7 a month earlier.

Analysts had expected a reading of just 55.0.

“With storms hitting the east coast, it was no surprise to see some disappointing survey data in September, with the flash PMI indicating that the pace of economic growth slipped to its lowest for almost one-and-a-half years,” IHS Markit chief business economist Chris Williamson said.

Despite the slowdown, this expert considered business activity to remain “encouragingly resilient” and estimated that the data implied third-quarter growth of about 3%.

Williamson pointed to an acceleration in new order growth and an increase in backlogs of work due to weather-related disruptions and said that “underlying demand remains robust and that there’s an accumulation of work that will roll over into stronger economic growth in coming months.”

He also noted that the upturn in hiring suggested that nonfarm payroll creation could top 200,000 in September.

On the downside, Williamson pointed to the fact that prices charged spiked higher, rising at the steepest rate seen for at least nine years.

Investing.com - Cryptocurrencies were higher on Friday as Switzerland took steps to help blockchain companies get access to traditional banking services.

Bitcoin surged 4.65% to $6,736.50 on the Bitfinex exchange, as of 9:23 AM ET (13:23 GMT).

Cryptocurrencies overall were much higher, with the coin market cap of total market capitalization at $222 billion at the time of writing compared to $200 billion on Thursday.

Ethereum,or Ether, the second-biggest alternative currency by market cap, rose 7.39% to $228.60. XRP, the third-largest virtual currency, surged 33.75% to $0.56225 and Litecoin was at $58.254, up 6.05%.

The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) issued guidelines to help banks create accounts for digital currency companies. The country has been facing an exodus of blockchain projects, as companies leave due to the difficulty of getting access to basic banking business needs.

"We believe that with these guidelines, we'll be able to establish a basis for discussion between banks and innovative startups, making the dialogue simpler and facilitating the opening of accounts," SBA strategic adviser Adrian Schatzmann said at a news conference.

According to the Crypto Valley Association, around 530 blockchain startups have settled in Switzerland's Crypto Valley hub around Zurich and Zug.

In other news, the company behind the Hong Kong stock exchange could invest in new technology like blockchain, Bloomberg reported.

HKEX CEO Charles Li is thinking about acquiring companies in the data, blockchain and analytics sectors and has already met with investment banks to negotiate.

Investing.com - Canadian retail sales rose 0.3% in July, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

This was compared to a revised decline of 0.1% in the previous month.

Economists had forecast a reading of 0.4%.

Statistics Canada noted that the increase was due to higher sales at food and beverage stores and gasoline stations.

"Excluding the lower sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased 0.9%," the report said.

Sales were up in 8 of 11 subsectors, representing 54.8% of total retail sales.

After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales in volume terms decreased 0.1%.

Core retail sales, which excludes automobiles, rose 0.9% in July, compared to forecasts for an increase of 0.6%.

They had gained 0.1% in June in an upward revision from an initial 0.1% decline.

Investing.com - XRP was trading at $0.48034 by 07:08 (11:08 GMT) on the Investing.com Index on Friday, up 24.86% on the day. It was the largest one-day percentage gain since September 20.

The move upwards pushed XRP's market cap up to $18.79B, or 8.60% of the total cryptocurrency market cap. At its highest, XRP's market cap was $79.53B.

XRP had traded in a range of $0.42868 to $0.48035 in the previous twenty-four hours.

Over the past seven days, XRP has seen a rise in value, as it gained 69.31%. The volume of XRP traded in the twenty-four hours to time of writing was $1.86B or 10.35% of the total volume of all cryptocurrencies. It has traded in a range of $0.26706 to $0.48648 in the past 7 days.

At its current price, XRP is still down 85.40% from its all-time high of $3.29 set on January 4.

Elsewhere in cryptocurrency trading

Bitcoin was last at $6,710.3 on the Investing.com Index, up 4.26% on the day.

Ethereum was trading at $226.57 on the Investing.com Index, a gain of 6.22%.

Bitcoin's market cap was last at $115.81B or 53.00% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, while Ethereum's market cap totaled $23.10B or 10.57% of the total cryptocurrency market value.

Investing.com – U.S. futures pointed to a higher opening bell on Friday as trade worry eased.

The S&P 500 futures rose over half a point or 0.03% to 2,940.25 as of 6:51 AM ET (10:51 GMT) while Dow futures gained 34 points, or 0.13%, to 26,761.0. Meanwhile tech heavy Nasdaq 100 futures increased 4 points, or 0.06%, to 7,613.00.

Trade tensions eased but remained in the back of investors minds as tit-for-tat tariffs escalated between the U.S. and China this week. On Tuesday China said it would impose new tariffs on U.S. goods worth $60 billion, effective September 24, while the U.S. imposed a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods, which will go up to 25% at the end of the year.

Chinese e-commerce firm Jd.Com Inc Adr (NASDAQ:JD) was among the top gainers in premarket trading, rising 1.93% while Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) surged 2.01%. General Electric (NYSE:GE) inched up 0.48% while Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) gained 0.20% and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) inched up 0.29%.

Elsewhere medical marijuana firm Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY) slumped 8.14% while semiconductor Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) fell 5.45% after its chief financial officer said the company's gross margins will suffer due to tariffs between the U.S. and China. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) was down 0.38% after reports that the luxury carmaker is losing another executive.

In economic news, the IHS Markit will release its measure of U.S. manufacturing and services activity at 9:45 AM ET (13:45 GMT).

In Europe stocks were up. Germany’s DAX rose 92 points or 0.75% while in France the CAC 40 was up 43 points or 0.79% and in London the FTSE 100 increased 74 points or 1.02%. Meanwhile the pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 gained 23 points or 0.70% while Spain’s IBEX 35 inched up 20 points or 0.22%.

In commodities, gold futures fell 0.12% to $1,209.90 a troy ounce while crude oil futures gained 0.68% to $70.80 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, rose 0.14% to 93.60.