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Stocks hover near all-time highs, yen drops as Ueda disappoints hawks

World stocks hovered near record highs on Friday, underpinned by a big rate of interest cut from the Federal Reserve earlier this week, while the yen relieved after Bank of Japan Guv Kazuo Ueda tempered market expectations around impending rate hikes.

The dollar climbed 1.2% on the Japanese currency to 144.29 - its strongest in two weeks - on the back of Ueda's. remarks, having actually earlier fallen around 0.6% to 141.74 after the. BOJ kept interest rates stable in a commonly anticipated move.

The yen lost ground as Ueda gave couple of tips on when the. reserve bank might raise rates once again and said uncertainty around. the U.S. economy and market volatility could affect its policy. relocations.

The dollar steadied after suffering losses previously in. the week after the Fed provided a 50 basis point rate cut and. ensured investors the jumbo-sized reduction was a procedure to. protect a durable economy, instead of an emergency situation action. to recent weakness in the labour market.

What Chairman Powell said was that they're carefully. seeing the labour market, and if it slows too much they're. prepared to act, stated Marija Veitmane, head of equity research. at State Street Global Markets.

Powell also said that he doesn't see the labour market as. inflationary - that's a positive message for dangerous properties.

The MSCI index of world stocks was little. altered after Thursday's 1.6% dive took it to a record high. It. was headed for a 1.5% weekly rise.

European stocks dropped 0.8% from two-week highs,. with automakers leading the slide after Mercedes-Benz. cut its full-year profit margin target for the second time in. less than 2 months, on the back of weak point in China.

Wall Street futures were also lower, after the S&P 500. rose to a record close on Thursday.

CHINA TROUBLES

In China, the central bank kept its benchmark loaning. rates on hold, countering expectations for a relocation lower. Chinese. blue chips edged up 0.2% however remained near to a. seven-month low touched earlier in the week.

Downbeat information in recent days has actually raised hopes of aggressive. stimulus to prop up the world's second largest economy.

Markets were truly hoping that the policy action taken by. Chinese authorities will work. They have actually done a lot of little. things but unfortunately not enough to reverse the slowdown. in financial activities, said State Street's Veitmane.

It's a big source of weak point worldwide.

The onshore yuan strengthened to the highest in. almost 16 months after the People's Bank of China's surprise. relocation, causing intervention by state banks to avoid it from. valuing too fast.

Overnight, Wall Street lastly had the time to digest the. Federal Reserve's very first rate cut of this cycle. With more easing. to come, financiers are counting on continued U.S. economic. growth and better-than-expected out of work claims data added to the. view that the labour market stayed healthy.

Markets suggest about a 40% possibility the Fed will cut by another. 50 basis points in November and have 72 bps priced in by. year-end. Rates are seen at 2.83% by the end of 2025, which is. now believed to be the Fed's estimate of neutral.

The British pound was buoyant at $1.3300,. earlier rallying to the greatest considering that March 2022.

Information on Friday showed British retail sales rose by a. stronger-than-expected 1% in August and growth in July was. modified up. The Bank of England held rates constant on Thursday.

Commodities also held on to their weekly gains. Gold. touched a record high at $2,614 an ounce and oil rates were set. for their second straight week of gain.

Brent futures slipped 0.5% to $74.49 a barrel, however. are still up 4.6% today.

(source: Reuters)