Latest News

Stocks set for monthly drop, dollar rebounds as data, Fed loom big

U.S. stocks headed lower on Tuesday, joining their international equivalents on the course toward a month-to-month loss as important economic information waits in the wings and the U.S. Federal Reserve convenes for its twoday policy conference.

Gold sank, the dollar rebounded and benchmark U.S. Treasury yields ticked higher after a report from the Labor Department showed hotter-than-expected first-quarter work expense growth, which is unlikely to modify the Fed's limiting stance.

All three major U.S. indexes are on track for their very first month-to-month portion losses because October.

We have actually reached new highs in the S&P this year, but there comes a time when a market requires to digest those gains, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of CFRA Research study in New York. The old 'sell in May' adage might have become a reality a month early.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) gathers on Tuesday for its financial policy conference, which is expected to culminate on Wednesday with a choice to leave the Fed funds target rate in the 5.25% -5.50% variety.

The accompanying statement, as well as Fed Chair Jerome Powell's subsequent press conference, will be parsed for ideas relating to the reserve bank's anticipated course forward with regard to interest rate cuts.

The market is being staggered by a mix of punches delivered by the Fed, the customer and the overall economy, Stovall included. And instead of the four, five or six rate cuts that had been anticipated earlier, now the question is, will we get even one this year?

First-quarter profits season has passed its middle, with a host of high profile results on tap this week, amongst them Amazon.com and Apple Inc.

. Analysts now see aggregate S&P 500 first quarter incomes growth of 6.0% year-on-year, up from the 5.1% quote since April 1, according to LSEG.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 137.3 points, or 0.36%, to 38,248.79, the S&P 500 lost 9.44 points, or 0.18%, to 5,106.73 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 34.81 points, or 0.22%, to 15,948.28.

European stocks softened as financiers digested a raft of combined corporate earnings. The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 0.31% and MSCI's gauge of stocks around the world shed 0.18%.

Emerging market stocks lost 0.44%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 0.29%. lower, while Japan's Nikkei increased 1.24%.

The dollar regained some strength versus a basket of world. currencies and the yen weakened in the after-effects of thought. currency intervention on the part of Japanese authorities on. Monday.

The dollar index rose 0.37%, with the euro. down 0.16% to $1.0702.

The Japanese yen compromised 0.64% versus the greenback at. 157.33 per dollar, while sterling was last trading at. $ 1.2523, down 0.30% on the day.

U.S. Treasury yields inched higher as investors waited for the. Fed decision.

Benchmark 10-year notes fell 12/32 in cost to. yield 4.6591%, from 4.612% late on Monday.

The 30-year bond fell 15/32 in rate to yield. 4.7681%, from 4.737% late on Monday.

Unrefined rates dropped on easing geopolitical stress as. Middle East peace talks moved on and U.S. data revealed. healthy unrefined output and exports.

U.S. crude fell 1.5% to $81.39 per barrel and Brent. was last at $85.49, down 1.96% on the day.

Gold prices dropped ahead of the Fed conference, however remained. on course for their third consecutive monthly gain.

Spot gold dropped 1.6% to $2,297.88 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)