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Stocks steady but nerves stay raw; Harris-Trump dispute up next

Worldwide shares steadied on Tuesday, struggling to draw momentum from a rally on Wall Street as concerns about failing financial growth dampened investor sentiment, which also dented the oil price.

Data from China showed exports grew at their fastest since March 2023 in August, suggesting producers were hurrying out orders ahead of tariffs expected from a variety of trade partners, while imports missed forecasts amid weak domestic need.

That followed Monday's inflation figures that pointed to still-fragile domestic demand as producer rate deflation aggravated, keeping alive calls for additional stimulus from Beijing to shore up its economy.

This took a portion out of Asian shares, in addition to commodities such as copper and crude.

Across the more comprehensive equity market, MSCI's All-World index was flat, showing modest gains in Europe, where the STOXX 600 was up 0.2% and as U.S. stock futures traded either side of unchanged.

Financiers are preparing for a series of fast rate of interest cuts from the Federal Reserve in the coming months, after last week's U.S. tasks report painted a picture of a labour market that was slowing.

Markets are now on hard-landing alert essentially and we have actually. seen a go back to 'excellent news is excellent news', Investec chief. financial expert Philip Shaw stated.

Stocks had traded at record highs simply two weeks earlier, as. expectations built for the Fed to provide some fresh stimulus to. the economy by cutting borrowing costs.

But with the all-important labour market slowing, activity. across the manufacturing sector in contraction and inflation. decreasing, the state of mind has moved.

Futures show traders are relying on U.S. rates coming by a. full percentage point by the end of the year, with a near-30%. opportunity of a half-point cut coming as early as next week,. according to CME's Fedwatch tool.

Wall Street had staged a remarkable rebound in the previous. session, after all 3 major U.S. stock indexes surged more. than 1%, recovering from last week's selloff.

In the future Tuesday, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Politician. Donald Trump will dispute for the first time ahead of the. Governmental election on Nov. 5, with the 2 locked in a tight. race.

THE CASE FOR CUTS

Financiers now turn their attention to Wednesday's U.S. inflation report, which might provide more clearness on whether. the Federal Reserve would provide an outsized 50-basis-point cut. when it meets next week.

( Inflation) numbers have been pretty crucial over past couple of. months, but it is arguably less this time around. Markets have. it strongly developed in their minds that cost pressures are. easing back. What matters more are the projected trends in U.S. economy and the level to which activity holds up or slows. down, Investec's Shaw stated.

Expectations are for headline inflation in the United States. to have actually slowed to a yearly rate of 2.6% in August, compared. with July's 2.9%.

If the inflation number is any various, or substantially. different from expectations, then the variety of rate cuts. ( priced in) will be changed, Jun Bei Liu, a portfolio supervisor. at Tribeca Financial investment Partners, stated.

At the minute, I believe the market is reasonably aggressive. in pricing quite a lot this side of the year, and so that. probably opens for a bit more ... volatility that we have seen. in the last couple of weeks.

Oil, which has lost nearly 20% in the last two. months alone, driven by issue about global energy demand, was. down another 0.5% at $71.50 a barrel.

Copper futures were down 0.1% at $9,090 a tonne,. while iron ore futures fell 0.7% to $91.15 a tonne,. after information revealed a drop in Chinese imports.

In currencies, the U.S. dollar strengthened 0.24% versus. the yen to trade at 143.53. The euro was. flat at $1.1037, while sterling edge up 0.1% to. $ 1.3082, after information revealed UK wage development cooled in the 3. months to July, keeping the case for another Bank of England. rate cut.

(source: Reuters)