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Bond yields climb up, stocks under pressure as Fed cut doubts resurface

U.S. Treasury yields pushed to a near fourweek peak on Wednesday, raising their AsiaPacific counterparts and the dollar while pressing equities, as data sowed brand-new doubts about the timing and level of Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Petroleum increased for a 4th day to reach a four-week high amid speculation OPEC+ will keep production cuts at a. meeting this Sunday.

Standard U.S. 10-year yields ticked as high as. 4.556% in Tokyo trading hours, a level not seen since May 3,. following inadequately gotten two- and five-year Treasury auctions. overnight.

Comparable Japanese yields hit the highest. given that December 2011 at 1.065%, while Australian yields. jumped to a more than three-week top at 4.42%.

Investors were also caught off-guard by a sharp enhancement. in a U.S. consumer self-confidence measure for May. Economic experts had. anticipated a 4th straight month of weaker confidence,. especially after a warm reading for the University of. Michigan's analogous survey result from Friday.

That has kept the marketplace thinking about the strength of the. economy and sticky inflationary pressures, which in turn cloud. the outlook for the Fed's policy path.

Traders currently put the chances of a minimum of a quarter-point. rate of interest cut by September at 44% following the information, from a. coin toss a day earlier, according to the CME Group's FedWatch. Tool.

The dollar rose to a four-week peak of 157.41 yen. on Wednesday, while acquiring 0.07% against both the euro. and sterling.

Australia's dollar though included 0.08% to $0.66545,. reinforced by data showing an unexpected dive in regional consumer. inflation last month.

Whether incoming U.S. economic news sees the cash market. pendulum swing back in favour of lower U.S. rates in Q3 will be. key to whether the Aussie can maintain its upward momentum,. National Australia Bank strategists composed in a customer note.

Our base line view is 'yes it will' - we still have. September for a very first Fed relieving, then another by year-end.

Regional stock markets were mostly lower on Wednesday, with. the notable exception of mainland China.

Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.4%, Australia's benchmark. dropped more than 1%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng. tumbled 1.2%.

Nevertheless, mainland blue chips acquired 0.3%

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares. dropped 0.8%.

U.S. S&P 500 futures pointed 0.2% lower following a. flat surface on Tuesday for the cash index.

In energy markets, Brent crude futures for July delivery. rose 27 cents, or 0.3%, to $84.49 a barrel. U.S. West. Texas Intermediate futures for July climbed 35 cents, or. 0.4%, to $80.18.

(source: Reuters)