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Dollar up on combined reserve bank views, Middle East danger lifts oil and gold

The U.S. dollar skyrocketed on Friday while oil rates pressed higher and gold reached a record peak as investors grappled with geopolitical stress and potentially diverging interest rate paths between Europe and the United States.

Significant U.S. stock indexes sank in early trade, as first-quarter earnings season kicked off on an ugly note with reports from major banks. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.7%.

Unrefined rates were up around 3%.

Concerns that Iran might retaliate for an airstrike on its embassy in Damascus that it blamed on Israel have actually hovered over markets.

The United States expects an attack by Iran versus 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 concerns that there may be an attack on Israel by Iran, stated Kristina Hooper, primary international market strategist at Invesco. That has filtered into pushing gold higher, pushing safe-haven currencies greater ... Geopolitical danger has actually been driving a great deal of the moves.

Central bank outlooks were also in focus. The European Central Bank on Thursday signified it could start cutting rates, while a hotter-than-expected inflation continuing reading Wednesday pushed back bets for the Federal Reserve's very first cut till later on in the year.

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

In currencies, the dollar index got 0.73%. The euro was down 0.88% and struck its lowest level in 5 months.

The Japanese yen enhanced 0.17% against the greenback, rebounding after hitting a 34-year low during the day as investors were on expect signs of intervention from Tokyo officials.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 319.60 points, or 0.83%, to 38,139.48, the S&P 500 lost 43.16 points, or 0.84%, to 5,155.42 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 167.82 points, or 1.03%, to 16,273.65.

Financiers were absorbing blended results from JP Morgan , Citigroup and Wells Fargo, with the S&P. 500 Banks index down 2.4%.

Europe's STOXX 600 index rose 0.29%.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes. fell 7.5 basis points to 4.501%, from 4.576% late on Thursday.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins is. considering a couple of interest rate cuts this year amidst. expectations it could still spend some time to get inflation back. to targeted levels.

Market prices implied investors expect the Fed to lower. its main funds rate by about 48 basis points this year after. traders started 2024 betting on about 150 bps of cuts.

Oil rose as stress in the Middle East raised the danger of. supply disturbances.

U.S. crude acquired 3.02% to $87.59 a barrel and Brent. rose to $92.12 per barrel, up 2.66% on the day.

Area gold included 1.77% to $2,415.15 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)