The Russian ruble is climbing

Markets Insider

The petro-currency is up by 0.7% at 61.0208 per dollar as of 7:48 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, is up by 0.4% at $55.55 per barrel and WTI crude is up by 0.5% at $53.55 per barrel ahead of crude oil inventory data, which will be out at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Oil prices are on track to close at their best level since July 2015.

As for the rest of the world, here's the scoreboard as of 7:41 a.m. ET:

• The Norwegian krone is up by 0.6% at 8.564 per dollar after the Riksbank extended its bond-buying program and kept rates unchanged at -0.5%. "It was a controversial decision and could be the last efforts," Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, wrote. "Two of the six-member board wanted to stop the bond purchases now. One other was interested in extending the purchases, but at half the pace that was ultimately decided."
• The euro is up by 0.4% at 1.0429 against the dollar. Earlier, data showed that French PPI rose 0.8% in November. Separately, Italian wage inflation rose 0.5% year-over-year in November, and by 0.1% month-over-month in November.
• The US dollar index is down by 0.4% at 102.90. On the data front, existing home sales will be out at 10 a.m. ET.
• The Japanese yen is up by 0.6% at 117.19 per dollar.
• The British pound is little changed at 1.2380 against the dollar.