Reuters

European shares inched up on Thursday as solid company earnings more than offset a weak energy sector and a slump in German industrial giant Siemens on delays to a planned unit listing.

Rosy economic data lifted European stock markets on Thursday even as broader world equity markets dipped.

The dollar fell against the yen, euro and Swiss franc on Thursday after weaker-than-expected U.S. services sector data worried investors ahead of jobs data and stoked doubts that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates again in 2017.

Three top Democratic senators, in a rare show of bipartisanship, on Wednesday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stand up to China as he prepares to launch an inquiry into Beijing’s intellectual property and trade practices in coming days.

The dollar inched away from a 15-month low versus a basket of currencies on Thursday, but was still looking wobbly due to doubts about whether there will be another U.S. interest rate rise this year.

Gold prices on Thursday drifted further away from seven-week highs hit earlier this week, as the dollar firmed on expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve could trim its bond holdings in September.

Oil dipped on Thursday as a rally that has pushed up prices by almost 10 percent since early last week lost momentum despite renewed signs of a gradually tightening U.S. market.

China’s yuan eased against the U.S. dollar on Thursday on rising corporate demand for the greenback, traders said.

Asian shares slid on Thursday, led by falls in South Korean tech shares, as investors locked in recent gains after Wall Street’s Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 22,000 barrier for the first time in its 121-year history.

The euro climbed to a fresh 2-1/2 year high against the dollar on Wednesday as investors added long bets in the single currency.