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Dollar firms on combined reserve bank views, Middle East threat raises oil

The U.S. dollar got on Friday while oil costs pressed greater as financiers grappled with geopolitical stress and potentially diverging rate of interest paths between Europe and the United States.

Major U.S. stock indexes plunged, as first-quarter revenues season started on an ugly note with reports from major banks. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 1.23%.

Concerns that Iran may strike back for an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus that it blamed on Israel have hovered over markets.

The United States anticipates an attack by Iran against Israel however one that would not be huge enough to draw Washington into war, a U.S. authorities stated late on Thursday. Israel did not claim obligation for the airstrike on April 1.

There are issues that there may be an attack on Israel by Iran, stated Kristina Hooper, primary international market strategist at Invesco. Geopolitical risk has been driving a great deal of the moves.

Reserve bank outlooks were likewise in focus. The European Reserve Bank on Thursday signalled it might start cutting rates, while a hotter-than-expected inflation reading on Wednesday pressed back bets for the Federal Reserve's very first cut until later on in the year.

In the near term it is going to be harder for the Fed to cut than for the European Central Bank, said Marcelo Carvalho, international head of economics at BNP Paribas.

The dollar index gained 0.66%. The euro was down 0.76% and struck its lowest level in 5 months.

We have actually got a dollar, U.S. interest rate strength play, that's what's going on here, said Joseph Trevisani, senior expert at FX Street in New York.

One exception to the dollar strength was the Japanese yen . It firmed 0.09% against the greenback, rebounding after hitting a 34-year low throughout the day as financiers were on watch for signs of intervention from Tokyo authorities.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 512.98 points, or 1.33%, to 37,948.04, the S&P 500 lost 79.02 points, or 1.52%, to 5,120.04 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 276.67 points, or 1.68%, to 16,165.7.

Investors were digesting mixed results from JP Morgan , Citigroup and Wells Fargo, with the S&P. 500 Banks index down 3.1%.

Europe's STOXX 600 index increased 0.14%.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes. dropped 9.1 basis points to 4.485%, from 4.576% late on. Thursday.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins is. eyeing a couple of rates of interest cuts this year in the middle of. expectations it might still take some time to get inflation back. to targeted levels.

Market rates suggested financiers expect the Fed to decrease. its primary funds rate by about 49 basis points this year after. traders started 2024 banking on about 150 bps of cuts.

Oil rose but pared sharper earlier gains as stress in the. Middle East raised the threat of supply interruptions.

U.S. crude acquired 0.89% to $85.77 a barrel and Brent. increased to $90.5 per barrel, up 0.85% on the day.

Area gold lost 0.96% to $2,350.43 an ounce, taking a. breather after it earlier rose above $2,400 per ounce to an. all-time high.

(source: Reuters)