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Stocks flat as strong quarter nears end; yen on intervention watch

A gauge of international share markets was little bit changed on Thursday as it headed for its 2nd straight quarter of strong gains, while a strong dollar kept the yen near its weakest in years in the middle of the threat of intervention from Japanese authorities.

Wall Street's primary stock indexes likewise showed very little modification and markets broadly were mostly rangebound ahead of Friday's. much-anticipated U.S. individual intake expenses (PCE). rate index data, a closely enjoyed inflation step. Few. markets will be open to react and assess to the fresh data,. Provided the long Easter weekend in numerous nations.

Individuals are most likely a little careful about positioning. ahead of PCE, stated Sameer Samana, senior worldwide market. strategist at the Wells Fargo Financial Investment Institute.

For a lot of people today will be the last day of the week,. they are probably squaring positions for the quarter, for the. month.

Heightened focus was on the yen, which last weakened. 0.05% versus the greenback to 151.35 per dollar, having slid to. a 34-year low of 151.975 in the previous session.

Japan's 3 primary monetary authorities held an emergency situation. conference on Wednesday to talk about the weak yen, and suggested they. were all set to intervene in the market to stop what they. referred to as disorderly and speculative relocations in the currency.

Once dollar/yen touches 152, I think there will most likely be. a sharp move up, and that's when intervention might take. place, said Takeshi Ishida, a currency strategist at Resona. Holdings.

The dollar got on the euro after a U.S. Federal Reserve. policymaker stated he wasn't in a hurry to cut rates.

Fed Guv Christopher Waller said on Wednesday that. current frustrating inflation information affirms the case for the. central bank to hold off on cutting its short-term rate of interest. target, however he did not rule out cutting rates later on in the. year.

The dollar index acquired 0.03% at 104.45, with the. euro down 0.26% at $1.0798.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe. fell 0.01%. The index was on rate to publish a gain of over 7% for. the very first quarter.

Wall Street's primary indexes were hardly altered in afternoon. trade ahead of quarter end.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.26 points to. 39,760.43, the S&P 500 gained 2.17 points, or 0.04%, to. 5,250.57 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 26.22 points, or. 0.16%, to 16,373.30. Data on Thursday revealed the U.S. economy grew faster than. formerly estimated in the fourth quarter, lifted by strong. consumer spending and company financial investment in nonresidential. structures like factories. Gdp increased at a. 3.4% annualized rate last quarter, revised up from the. formerly reported 3.2% speed.

U.S. Treasury yields were somewhat firmer on the day however. stayed in narrow bands ahead of an early close before the. Friday's market holiday.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes was. at 4.198%, up from 4.196% late on Wednesday.

Oil prices rose as investors anticipated tighter products. provided the OPEC+ producer alliance is extensively anticipated to stay the. course on its current production cuts.

U.S. crude gained 1.75% to $82.77 a barrel and Brent. rose to $87.38 per barrel, up 1.5% on the day.

(source: Reuters)