The economy seems to have recovered further in the second quarter, with unemployment falling. We expect continued economic growth but expect employment gains to be limited as productivity is set to recover.

GE was the quintessential dividend growth stock in the 1990s. It likely made many millionaires through price appreciation and a rising payout. Eventually, the company ran into problems during the subprime mortgage crisis and the Great Recession.

The commodity market, struggling to maintain its upward momentum, frequently slips into sell-offs. On Thursday, the price of Brent crude oil fell to 83.60 USD per barrel.

Tomorrow’s update on US inflation for April looks set to tick lower, although the odds aren’t trivial that pricing pressure will remains sticky, according to various forecasts and a review of pricing trends published to date.

The dollar initially extended yesterday's North American recovery but unwound most of the gains in the European morning. As North American dealers return, the greenback is lower against most of the G10 currencies.