Global stocks declined on Friday and the dollar’s sell-off eased as investors awaited the release of a fresh batch of US jobs numbers, with any signs of slowing demand for workers likely to boost hopes that inflationary pressures are waning.
The regional Stoxx Europe 600 index slipped 0.4 per cent in early trading and London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.4 per cent. Contracts tracking Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.1 per cent while those tracking the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.2 per cent.
A measure of the dollar against six other major currencies fell 0.2 per cent after tumbling 1.2 per cent on Thursday as traders ramped up their bets that the Federal Reserve will slow its interest rate rises when it meets later this month, potentially easing an aggressive monetary tightening campaign that has sent shockwaves through global markets this year.