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Stocks suppressed, yen in focus, with inflation data on tap

A gauge of international share markets was hardly changed on Thursday as it was poised to end the quarter with solid gains, while a strong dollar kept the yen near its weakest in years amidst the threat of intervention from Japanese authorities.

Wall Street's primary stock indexes completed the session with minimal changes as markets broadly were mostly rangebound ahead of Friday's much-anticipated U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) rate index information, a closely seen inflation measure. Couple of markets will be open to react and assess to the fresh information, however, given the long Easter weekend in many nations.

People are probably a little cautious about positioning ahead of PCE, stated Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

For a great deal of individuals today will be the last day of the week, they are probably squaring positions for the quarter, for the month.

Increased focus was on the yen, which last weakened 0.05% versus the greenback at 151.38 per dollar, having slid to a 34-year low of 151.975 in the previous session.

Japan's three main financial authorities held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to go over the weak yen, and suggested they were all set to intervene in the market to stop what they referred to as speculative and disorderly relocations in the currency.

When dollar/yen touches 152, I believe there will most likely be a sharp move upward, which's when intervention might take location, said Takeshi Ishida, a currency strategist at Resona Holdings.

The dollar got on the euro after a U.S. Federal Reserve policymaker said he wasn't in a rush to cut rates.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Wednesday that current disappointing inflation data verifies the case for the central bank to hold off on cutting its short-term rate of interest target, but he did not eliminate trimming rates later on in the year.

The dollar index gained 0.12% at 104.55, with the euro down 0.37% at $1.0786.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.01 points, or basically no modification, to 782.93. The index was set to post a gain of over 7% for the first quarter.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 47.29 points, or 0.12%, to 39,807.37, the S&P 500 acquired 5.86 points, or 0.11%, to 5,254.35 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 20.06 points, or 0.12%, to 16,379.46. Data on Thursday showed the U.S. economy grew faster than previously approximated in the fourth quarter, lifted by strong consumer spending and service investment in nonresidential structures like factories. Gross domestic product increased at a. 3.4% annualized rate last quarter, modified up from the. formerly reported 3.2% pace.

U.S. Treasury yields were a little firmer on the day ahead. of the inflation data.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes rose. to 4.206%, from 4.196% late on Wednesday.

Oil costs increased, closing out the month higher on the. prospect of OPEC+ staying the course on production cuts, continuous. attacks on Russia's energy facilities and a falling U.S. rig. count tightening up unrefined materials.

U.S. crude got 2.04% to $83.01 a barrel and. Brent rose to $87.5 per barrel, up 1.64% on the day.

(source: Reuters)