Dow, S&P, NASDAQ close higher for the 4th consecutive month
On the downside the Dow post its 2nd straight weekly decline.
The final numbers are showing:
For the week, the NASDAQ led the way. The Dow industrial average could not make it to the unchanged level falling by -0.16%:

Bold move by the rating agency
The rating was affirmed at AAA but lowered to negative from stable. That’s how you get yourself a lawsuit.
What Fitch had to say:

Weekly FX speculative positioning data from the CFTC
– EUR long 157K vs 125K long last week. Longs increased by 32K
– GBP short 25K vs 15K short last week. Shorts increased by 10K
Highlights:

Forex news for North American trading on July 31, 2020:
Markets:
The big story was the move in USD/JPY. It came after some serious jawboning and threats from top Japanese officials in Asia so it looks like intervention. It painted a huge outside day on the chart in a reversal to 106.00 from 104.19 at the lows.

Forex news from the European trading session – 31 July 2020
Headlines:
Markets:
– GBP leads, NZD lags on the day
– European equities higher; E-minis up 0.3%

Boris Johnson pulls the plug on any further easing of lockdown measures
– Reopening of leisure facilities will now be postponed for at least two weeks
– Guidance on returning to work remains unchanged
Johnson also confirms that this „truly“ means a return to social distancing though he maintains that children should start going back to school in

The dollar pares earlier losses as currency traders hit the reset button
early stages of European morning trade
All in all, major currencies are now trading little changed overall with only the kiwi seen a little lower but not by a whole lot to be fair. NZD/USD is down 0.3% to 0.6680, but still keeping above its

The Sun reports on the matter
UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, is due to address the public later today and is expected to announce that most of the measures that would be lifted tomorrow would now be „put on ice“, according to The Sun .

Sanofi, GSK selected for Operation Warp Speed
The US will also have a further option for a supply of additional 500 million doses of the vaccine in the longer-term. GSK adds that if study data are postive, the companies can request US regulatory approval some time in 1H 2021.

The pound is the only currency outperforming the dollar so far today
The pair moved to a low of 1.2945 earlier in the session but held on to near-term support close to 1.2950 before rebounding to its best levels on the day now. Buyers are looking to keep a break above 1.3000 and that will be