Morning Kickstart: Dollar rises across the board as stocks retreat

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The U.S. dollar is higher against all seven major currencies as the North American session approaches. The biggest move is against the Australian dollar, while the smallest is against the Canadian dollar.Currency snapshot at 7:30 a.m. ET:AUDUSD: 0.7068 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.62%NZDUSD: 0.5693 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.56%GBPUSD: 1.3283 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.42%USDJPY: 157.91 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.34%EURUSD: 1.1410 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.32%USDCHF: 0.8226 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.26%USDCAD: 1.4087 — U.S. dollar higher by 0.18%Middle East: talks begin, but risks remainYesterday’s UN meetings brought both a warning and a diplomatic opening. President Trump warned Iran of further military action if there is no deal. Later, U.S. and Iranian representatives communicated through mediators on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Iran has laid out conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but there is no agreement yet. Houthi activity in Yemen also remains a risk to Red Sea shipping. For oil traders, the issue is whether the talks lead to an agreement that improves the flow of energy through the region. Stocks and Treasury yieldsAt 7:37 a.m. ET, U.S. stock futures were lower:Dow futures: −101 pointsNasdaq futures: −94 pointsS&P futures: −5.64 pointsTreasury yields were higher:2-year: 4.787%, up about 1.0 basis point5-year: 4.855%, up about 1.3 basis points10-year: 4.978%, up about 1.1 basis points30-year: 5.311%, up about 0.8 basis pointsCommodities and BitcoinThe commodity picture was mixed in the morning snapshot. Brent was higher, while WTI was modestly lower despite the continuing Middle East risks.Brent crude: $99.83, up 0.58%WTI crude: $90.28, down 0.27%Gold: Near $4,302, down about 1.3%Silver: Near $64.92, down about 1.3%Bitcoin: Near $85,521, down 0.79%European PMIs: expansion continues, but the details are mixedAll eight flash PMI readings came in above 50, signaling expansion in the manufacturing and services sectors covered by the reports. That does not mean every sector gained momentum. Services improved in France, Germany and the eurozone, while manufacturing readings weakened in France and Germany.France manufacturing: 50.3 versus 50.9 expected; prior 51.1 — worse than priorFrance services: 51.4 versus 48.3 expected; prior 48.0 — better than priorGermany manufacturing: 53.8 versus 54.1 expected; prior 54.3 — worse than priorGermany services: 52.9 versus 49.9 expected; prior 49.7 — better than priorEurozone manufacturing: 52.7 versus 52.6 expected; prior 52.7 — unchanged from priorEurozone services: 53.0 versus 51.4 expected; prior 51.6 — better than priorUK manufacturing: 52.0 versus 51.5 expected; prior 51.7 — better than priorUK services: 51.7 versus 52.0 expected; prior 52.5 — worse than priorAhead: U.S. flash PMIs at 9:45 a.m. ETBoth U.S. manufacturing and services are expected to remain above 50, although the forecasts are slightly below the prior readings. I will also be watching the details on prices and employment for what they may mean for Treasury yields and the dollar.Manufacturing PMI: 53.6 expected versus 53.9 priorServices PMI: 56.0 expected versus 56.5 priorComposite PMI: No forecast shown; prior 56.0In the Kickstart video, I take a technical look at EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD. For each pair, I outline the bias, the risk-defining levels and the targets that would give either the buyers or sellers more control. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.