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Stocks recover poise after traders take an axe to rate bets

International stocks pared losses and stabilised on Wednesday, while the dollar and Treasury yields held near their recent highs, after traders pared back expectations for the speed and scale of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.

The current shift in rate expectations came after a benefit surprise in U.S. inflation on Tuesday that revealed the customer cost index (CPI) increased 3.1% on an annual basis, above forecasts for a 2.9% increase.

The data has actually triggered traders to slash their bets on where U.S. rates will go this year.

Futures now point to about 90 basis points worth of cuts from the Fed by December, roughly 4 quarter-point drops, compared to 110 bps prior to the data release and 160 bps at the end of 2023.

With the possibility of a high drop in rate of interest dropping, investors kept the pressure on international stocks, which had rallied strongly towards completion of last year on aggressive bets for rate cuts by significant reserve banks internationally in 2024.

The MSCI All-World index, which struck two-year highs on Monday, was flat on the day, following a drop on Wall Street over night that pulled the S&P 500 back below 5,000 points. U.S. futures were up 0.4-0.6%.

Worryingly for financiers, the CPI report revealed an unexpected pickup in stickier aspects, such as service-sector inflation and shelter, helped drive the general boost.

When you get a dive like this, and the year-on-year figures truly reveal this instead of the month-to-month ones, that's a shock since it just reveals that it's not all plain sailing and we might get more increases in inflation, Trade Nation senior market analyst David Morrison said.

We need to be surprised by the dive in inflation, because I. don't believe anybody was thinking of that. It was more how. slowly do we come down towards 2%, and this resembles kicking the. ladder away a bit, he said.

In Europe, the STOXX edged up 0.5% as a flurry of. stronger revenues increased the local index.

Even Japan's Nikkei, which hit its greatest in 34. years on Tuesday, was not spared from the pounding and fell 0.7%.

The recent rally in the Nikkei has been greased by a moving. yen, which compromised past the essential 150 per dollar level. for the very first time this year on Tuesday.

The yen last stood at 150.60 per dollar. The 150 level has. been seen in the past as a potential catalyst for intervention. by Japanese financial authorities. It was just past this level. that they intervened to support the yen in late 2022.

If they do try intervention, I believe it'll be near ... the. ( dollar/yen) high from October 2022 and the high we saw in. mid-November, stated Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG.

Japan's top currency officials warned on Wednesday versus. what they described as speculative and fast yen relocations. overnight.

HIGHER FOR LONGER

Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries struck their highest in. more than two months following Tuesday's inflation report, which. provided the dollar a burst of strength.

By Wednesday, the benchmark 10-year yield was. down 1 bp at 4.305%, listed below a session peak of 4.332%.

With yields holding firm, the dollar clawed into favorable. area against a basket of currencies to 104.89,. having actually hit its greatest since November on Tuesday.

The attendant, broad-based U.S. dollar rise undoubtedly. shows (the) matching rise in U.S. Treasury yields,. said Vishnu Varathan, primary financial expert for Asia ex-Japan at. Mizuho Bank.

Sterling fell 0.3% to $1.2554, after UK data showed. inflation did not get as anticipated last month.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin increased 4.2% and is beyond. the $50,000 level, bringing its total market capitalisation. above $1 trillion for the very first time because November 2021.

Oil rates rose, developing on Tuesday's gains, as. geopolitical tensions stuck around in the Middle East and eastern. Europe.

U.S. crude traded up 0.1% at $77.91, while Brent. futures were up 0.1% at $82.88.

Gold meanwhile fell 0.1% to $1,990 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)