European markets expected to decline before the results of the ECB's strategic assessment. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 4,078.53 points (+0.64%), the CAC 40 at 6,527.72 points (+0.31%), the DAX 30 at 15.692.71 points (+1.17%), the FTSE 100 at 7,151.02 points (+0.71%), the SMI at 12,085.51 points (+1.01%), the AEX at 737.64 points (+0.84%), the BEL 20 at 4.177.42 points (+0.44%), the IBEX 35 at 8,854.50 points (-0.07%), the DJIA at 34,681.79 points (+0.30%), the Nasdaq at 14.665.06 points (+0.01%), the S&P 500 at 4,358.13 points (+0.34%) and the Nikkei 225 at 28,181.77 points (-0.65%).

In terms of exchange rates, the change from the close in New York shows EUR/USD opening at 1.1793 (+0.01%), EUR/JPY at 130.35 (-0.06%) and USD/JPY at 110.54 (-0.07%).

In France, Vivendi said several rulings by the Paris commercial court had confirmed the accuracy of the company's financial reporting in the early 2000s. The Paris commercial court "dismissed several institutional investors excluded from a U.S. class action from all of their claims for financial compensation under the of their claims for financial compensation for the allegedly inaccurate financial communications of Vivendi's former management between 2000 and 2002," the group said. Vivendi's Canal+ subsidiary has also acquired the broadcasting rights to the Premier League, the English soccer championship, for three additional seasons starting with the 2022-2023 edition. No amount for this transaction has been disclosed.

European equity markets are expected to start the session lower on Thursday, as investors continue to analyze the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy meeting.The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to hold a press conference on the outcome of its policy review. The spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is rapidly becoming the majority strain and causing a fourth epidemic wave in many countries, is also of concern to investors. At 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract was down 11 points, or 0.2%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The DAX 30 contract was down 22 points, or 0.1%, and the FTSE 100 contract was down 30 points, or 0.4%. The ECB is also expected to change its inflation target to 2% and drop the "below but close to 2%" target currently in place, it says. The framework should also highlight guidelines to support employment and climate initiatives.

The ECB has scheduled a press conference on the strategic review, which was launched in early 2020 and has been prolonged due to the health crisis, at 2:30 p.m. On Wednesday evening, minutes from the June 15-16 meeting of the Fed's monetary policy committee revealed that U.S. central bankers, faced with a rebound in the economy, were not prepared to take a stand on the issue.s with a much stronger-than-expected rebound in the economy earlier this year, had debated when and how to reduce their bond purchases. The minutes also show the extent to which Fed members revised their forecasts after the progress of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign and the massive stimulus packages released in the US. At the meeting scheduled for the end of July, the monetary policy committee will again consider the timing of the withdrawal of bond purchases, currently at $120 billion per month. Wall Street closed slightly higher, allowing the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to set new records. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the broader S&P 500 Index gained 0.3% to 34,681.79 and 4,358.13 points, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.01 percent to 14,665.06 points. In Asia, the main stock market indexes declined on Thursday. At the end of the session, the Nikkei index gave up 0.7% in Tokyo, as the Japanese government intends to proclaim a state of health emergency once again. The Hang Seng lost 2.3% in Hong Kong, penalized by the decline of major Chinese technology stocks after the latest crackdown by Beijing. The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.7%.

U.S. Treasury yields hit multi-month lows on Wednesday, reflecting investors' concerns about the economic outlook and the Delta variant. Following a third straight session of declines, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note ended at 1.321%, its lowest closing level since Feb. 18, compared with 1.369% Tuesday. Yields rose sharply in the first quarter, but then fell again. Investors reassessed their economic forecasts, which were very optimistic at the start of the year, in the face of signs that Congress and the Fed may provide more limited fiscal and monetary support than initially expected.

The euro was up slightly Thursday morning against the dollar. But Karl Schamotta of Cambridge Global Payments said investors' reaction to the Fed's minutes is limited.

Oil prices are little changed Thursday morning. Uncertainty about the intentions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its allies led by Russia regarding the supply of black gold from August continues to weigh on energy markets, says CBA Bank. Ultimately, Opec+ will likely increase its supply this year, but the increase could come from September rather than August if the date of the group's next meeting is not set soon, the bank says. Investors are also watching the level of oil production in the U.S., which remains below its pre-pandemic highs, CBA adds. At 7:30 a.m., the September North Sea Brent contract was up 2 cents at $73.45 a barrel, and Nymex-listed light sweet crude (WTI) for August was down 9 cents at $72.11 a barrel.