Stocks Move Higher On Positive Earnings News - U.S. Commentary []

Stocks Move Higher On Positive Earnings News - U.S. Commentary []
Stocks moved higher at the start of trading on Thursday, with the major averages all climbing into positive territory after ending the previous session mixed. The initial upward move came on the heels of positive earnings news from companies such as Oracle (ORCL).

South African Rand Rises To 1-week High Against Dollar [USD/ZAR]
The South African Rand ticked up versus the US dollar in early deals on Thursday. At about 3:20 am ET, the rand reached a 1-week high of 6.9005, compared to 6.9662 late Wednesday in New York. The South African currency then dropped slightly and the dollar-rand pair is now trading near 6.935.

Stocks Turning In A Strong Performance In Morning Trading - U.S. Commentary []
Stocks opened higher on Friday, and they continue to turn in a strong performance in morning trading after ending the previous session mostly higher. Tech stocks are posting particularly strong gains, buoyed by positive earnings reported by Research In Motion (RIMM).

Dollar Falls To New Multi-day Lows Against European Majors [EUR/USD]
The US dollar weakened to new multi-day lows against its European counterparts in early deals on Thursday. Against the yen, the dollar lost ground during Asian trading, but the pair bounced back in European session.

US Stocks Poised For Lackluster Start To Abbreviated Christmas Eve Session []
US stocks were poised for a lackluster start to Monday's abbreviated session on Christmas Eve. Markets will close at 1 pm ET. Trading is expected to be light today and Wall Street will be closed for Christmas on Tuesday.

Brazilian Real Hits Fresh 2-week High Against Dollar [USD/BRL]
The Brazilian real strengthened against the US dollar during early deals on Thursday. At about 7:25 am ET, the Brazilian currency hit a fresh 2-week high of 1.7620, compared to yesterday's close of 1.7685.

US Dollar Falls To 3-day Low Against Singapore Dollar [USD/SGD]
The US dollar weakened against the Singapore dollar in early trading on Thursday. At about 3:45 am ET, the pair touched a 3-day low of 1.4500, compared to yesterday's close of 1.4533. As of now, the pair is trading at 1.4519.

Hong Kong Dollar Hits 8-day High Against US Dollar [USD/HKD]
The Hong Kong dollar gained against the US dollar during early European deals on Thursday. However, in Asian trading, the pair moved sideways. Currently, the Hong Kong currency is trading at an 8-day high of 7.7998 versus the greenback. The US durable goods orders data for November and the consumer confidence data for December are expected later in the morning.

Stocks Close Sharply Higher Ahead Of Holiday - U.S. Commentary []
While trading activity was somewhat subdued, the markets closed Monday's holiday-shortened session with a "Santa Claus" rally. After trading in a tight range for most of the afternoon, stocks jumped higher in the last thirty minutes of trading and closed just off their highs.