Sentiment remained weak as investors digested the minutes of the previous FOMC, released on Wednesday.
The minutes revealed that most participants judged that 50 basis point increases in the target range would likely be appropriate at the next couple of meetings. Regarding risks related to the balance sheet reduction, the minutes indicated that several participants noted the potential for unanticipated effects on financial market conditions.
Asian markets finished mixed. European equity markets have edged up. Wall Street Futures are however in mild negative territory. The Dollar Index hovered around the flatline as there were no negative surprises in the FOMC minutes. Bond yields eased and prices gained across regions. Crude oil prices edged up, amidst renewed supply concerns emanating from reports of a potential E.U. ban on Russian oil and a larger-than-expected drawdown in inventories in the U.S. Gold traded close to the flatline. Cryptocurrencies declined.
Here is a snapshot of the world markets at this hour across stocks, currencies, bonds, commodities and cryptocurrencies.
Stock Indexes:
DJIA (US30) at 32,117.70, down 0.01% S&P 500 (US500) at 3,973.70, down 0.13% Germany's DAX at 14,049.73, up 0.30% U.K.'s FTSE 100 at 7,517.10, down 0.08% France's CAC 40 at 6,317.84, up 0.30% Euro Stoxx 50 at 3,686.45, up 0.25% Japan's Nikkei 225 at 26,604.84, down 0.27% Australia's S&P ASX 200 at 7,105.90, down 0.69%China's Shanghai Composite at 3,123.11, up 0.50% Hong Kong's Hang Seng at 20,095.00, down 0.38%
Currencies:
EURUSD at 1.0682, up 0.02%GBPUSD at 1.2558, down 0.05%USDJPY at 126.75, down 0.44%AUDUSD at 0.7082, down 0.16%USDCAD at 1.2830, up 0.12%Dollar Index at 102.09, up 0.03%
Ten-Year Govt Bond Yields:
U.S. at 2.715%, down 1.17% Germany at 0.8975%, down 5.23%France at 1.420%, down 4.25%U.K. at 1.8720%, down 1.94%Japan at 0.228%, down 2.77%
Commodities:
Crude Oil WTI Futures (Jul) at $110.94, up 0.55%Brent Oil Futures (Aug) at $111.47, up 0.31%Gold Futures (Jun) at $1,846.62, up 0.02%
Cryptocurrencies:
Bitcoin at $29,360.66, down 1.37%Ethereum at $1,914.84, down 3.09%BNB at $319.18, down 3.37% XRP at $0.3956, down 2.53%Cardano at $0.5008, down 3.18%
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.