Reuters

Oil rose towards $70 a barrel on Monday, lifted by a drop in drilling activity in the United States and concerns that Washington could reintroduce sanctions against Iran.

China’s central bank on Monday lifted its official yuan midpoint to 6.2764 per dollar, the strongest level since August 2015, reflecting a solid yuan performance in the previous session.

Japanese business sentiment worsened for the first time in two years in the three months to March, a closely watched central bank survey showed on Monday, as rising raw materials and labor costs weigh on an otherwise steady economic recovery.

The dollar held steady against the yen on Monday, taking a breather after last week’s rally and as it treads cautiously amid lingering concerns over a U.S.-China trade spat.

China has slapped extra tariffs of up to 25 percent on 128 U.S. products including frozen pork, as well as on wine and certain fruits and nuts, in response to U.S. duties on imports of aluminum and steel, China’s finance ministry said.

The turbulent start to 2018 in financial markets has finally brought an end to one of the longest ever global bull runs – and there have been few places to hide.

The dollar stalled against its peers on Friday as the recovery seen earlier this week petered out ahead of the new quarter, which could potentially bring renewed pressure on the greenback.

Gold prices dipped on Thursday as the dollar held its strong gains from the previous session, but simmering tensions over Russia and a potential trade war offered support.

The euro gained slightly on Thursday after data showing German unemployment falling more than expected pointed to continued strength in the euro zone’s largest economy, while end-of-quarter investor rebalancing limited broader currency moves.

Oil fell on Wednesday as investors took profit on a rally the day before to this year’s highs after a report showed a surprisingly large increase in U.S. crude inventories.