Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 3/26/21

Accenture has acquired marketing and sales consultancy Brand Learning and technology services firm Search Technologies, both for undisclosed sums. In terms of the Brand Learning acquisition, a press release states that Brand Learning's advisory team will join the management consulting and industry specialists within Accenture's Customer and Channels practice. The partnership, according to the press release, will enhance Accenture's offerings in terms of marketing and sales strategy, organizational design, industry-specific consulting, and HR and leadership capabilities – allowing the professional services company to deliver end-to-end solutions and help clients create more integrated customer experiences. It will also tap into the digital design and engagement skills of Accenture Interactive, the release reads.

After jumping 2.2 percent on Monday, futures added 1 percent in New York on Tuesday. European and Asian stocks rose as President Donald Trump faced resistance to plans for a series of import tariffs, while a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea also boosted optimism. Still, the International Energy Agency’s warning that OPEC production cuts will unleash a supply surge from the U.S. and other producers maintained a note of caution in the market. The production cuts that helped push prices above $60 a barrel are triggering a flood of supply from OPEC’s rivals including Brazil and Canada, which will cover all growth in global demand until 2020, the IEA said. The agency may also raise its forecast for U.S. output if oil stays above $60 a barrel, Birol said during the CERAWeek oil conference in Houston. Non-OPEC growth is so strong that the oil market will change for years, he said. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed after slipping 0.3 percent on Tuesday, the first decline in four sessions. Crude inventories fell by 1.56 million barrels last week, while motor-fuel stockpiles gained 520,000 barrels, the industry-funded American Petroleum Institute was said to report. A Bloomberg survey forecast a 2.45 million-barrel oil-supply drop ahead of government data Wednesday. “The U.S. shale machine is poised to shift up a gear as producers make hay amid the healthier price backdrop,” said Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd. West Texas Intermediate for December delivery slid 8 cents to $57.12 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:04 a.m. London time. Total volume traded was 12 percent below the 100-day average. Prices slipped from the highest level in more than two years to close at $57.20 on Tuesday. Click Read More below for additional information.