U.S.
stocks opened slightly higher on Wednesday but gains were limited as
investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of Thursday's major political
and economic events.
Britain's general election, the European Central Bank's policy meeting and former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before a Senate panel could all weigh on investor sentiment.
Comey's first public appearance since he was fired by U.S. President Donald Trump might shed more light on a probe by the FBI into alleged Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election.
His testimony could dampen already flagging momentum for Trump's legislative agenda of rolling back healthcare reforms and overhauling the tax code.
The closely-fought election in Britain is also keenly watched, with one poll showing Prime Minister Theresa May increasing her parliamentary majority, while another suggesting a neck-and-neck race with the Labour Party.
"The impact of Comey's statement really depends on what he says, and anyway these hearings are long and dragged out. The UK elections could have an impact if there is a hung parliament and the various polls are adding a level of uncertainty."
The ECB will also hold its policy meeting on Thursday and is expected to reiterate its plan to extend the money-printing scheme at least until the end of the year.
Safe havens turned attractive, with gold XAU= steadying near seven-month highs and U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovering near lows not seen since the November U.S. election.
Britain's general election, the European Central Bank's policy meeting and former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before a Senate panel could all weigh on investor sentiment.
Comey's first public appearance since he was fired by U.S. President Donald Trump might shed more light on a probe by the FBI into alleged Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election.
His testimony could dampen already flagging momentum for Trump's legislative agenda of rolling back healthcare reforms and overhauling the tax code.
The closely-fought election in Britain is also keenly watched, with one poll showing Prime Minister Theresa May increasing her parliamentary majority, while another suggesting a neck-and-neck race with the Labour Party.
"The impact of Comey's statement really depends on what he says, and anyway these hearings are long and dragged out. The UK elections could have an impact if there is a hung parliament and the various polls are adding a level of uncertainty."
The ECB will also hold its policy meeting on Thursday and is expected to reiterate its plan to extend the money-printing scheme at least until the end of the year.
Safe havens turned attractive, with gold XAU= steadying near seven-month highs and U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hovering near lows not seen since the November U.S. election.
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