Stocks Pause New-Year Selloff; Oil Extends Rally: Markets Wrap.

Markets took a break on Thursday after a recent decline, with US equity futures and Treasury yields showing small gains. S&P 500 futures increased by 0.1%, while Apple Inc. saw a dip due to concerns about iPhone inventory levels. Tesla Inc. experienced a climb as Cathie Wood began buying shares after selling them for most of last year. Oil prices continued to rise due to supply disruptions in Libya and conflict in the Middle East. European stocks also saw gains, particularly in energy shares. Investors believe that a market pullback was overdue after stocks surged at the end of last year. The Nasdaq 100 Index experienced a 3% decline in two days, and swaps traders have been reducing their bets on rate cuts. European inflation data and the upcoming US jobs report will provide more insight into whether central banks can begin lowering interest rates. The recent minutes from the Federal Reserve's December meeting indicated that rates may remain at restrictive levels for some time. Brent crude traded near $79 a barrel due to supply disruptions in Libya and attacks in Iran. The Stoxx 600 index in Europe was boosted by oil majors, while Next Plc raised its profit forecast for the fifth time since June. JD Sports Fashion Plc, on the other hand, saw a 20% drop in early trading after slashing its profit forecast. The yen weakened due to speculation that it will be more difficult for the Bank of Japan to abolish negative interest rates following a recent earthquake. In currency markets, the euro [Extracted from the article]