Canadian stocks are turning in a mixed performance Thursday afternoon with investors largely staying cautious and refraining from making significant moves.

The Switzerland market ended flat on Thursday after a highly lackluster session as investors stayed reluctant to make significant moves amid a lack of fresh triggers.

European stocks closed higher on Thursday on expectations the European Central Bank (ECB) will start cutting interest rates soon.

The U.S. dollar appreciated against its major counterparts in the New York session on Thursday, as weekly jobless claims remained flat last week, indicating continued strength in the labor market.

A report released by the National Association of Realtors on Thursday showed a sharp pullback by existing home sales in the U.S. in the month March. NAR said existing home sales plunged by 4.3 percent to an annual rate of 4.19 million in March after surging by 9.5 percent to a rate of 4.38 million in February. Economists had expected existing home sales to slump to a rate of 4.20 million.

Investors are keeping a close eye on gold as the conflict in the Middle East escalates with a possibility of a full-scale regional war in the area.

Euro Dollar up 0.4%, Dollar Yen down 0.2%, Gold Dollar drops 0.8%. Nike gains 0.2%. Dollar strong, impacting Yen. US stocks volatile on Fed concerns, Europe steady. Key events: US jobless claims, Australia employment, Eurozone meeting, Japan industry index, Australia unemployment rate.

The British pound sterling is showing signs of recovery, bouncing back from a five-month low, with GBP/USD stabilising around the 1.2470 mark on Thursday.

Euro edges higher despite continued hawkish commentary from Fed officials; Geopolitical developments cast doubt on ECB June rate cut; Yen fails to make considerable gains as market looks to Friday’s CPI data

Oil prices experienced a significant drop in the last session that was influenced by an accelerating build-up in U.S. crude inventories and concerns about oil demand.