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Products fall, stocks nervy ahead of Fed, BOJ rate decisions

Oil struck its least expensive considering that early June on Tuesday, as issue about the economic outlook dented products, while bonds, currencies and stocks traded very carefully ahead of a variety of essential reserve bank decisions and a slew of major corporate revenues reports.

Brent crude futures was up to a low of $79.34 a. barrel, as concern over Chinese energy need surpassed any. concern about tensions in the Middle East or Venezuela.

Copper and iron ore prices fell, and zinc and aluminium. slipped to multi-month lows, while there was little by way of. support from China's Politburo, which at its July meeting. revealed no brand-new in-depth efforts to boost the economy.

The consensus is that the U.S. economy is going to be. softer this quarter and possibly next quarter too and you can't. truly rely on the euro area to provide any settlement for that. China has got its own issues and doesn't appear like it's going. to snap into gear, Daiwa Capital economist Chris Scicluna stated.

Not surprisingly, we may have been wishing for the international. economy to be getting traction and momentum to be getting at. this phase in the cycle, but it looks like perhaps things are. coming off the boil a bit, he stated.

U.S. stock futures rose 0.2%, suggesting a. modest uptick in the benchmark indices later on.

The MSCI All-World index, which is heading. for a 3rd straight regular monthly gain in July, was flat, while in. Europe, London's FTSE 100 was the worst-performing index. in the region, as basic resources stocks slid and leading spirits. maker Diageo hit a 4-1/2 year low following an earnings. miss.

Initial euro zone data showed financial development in the. single currency bloc broadened at a yearly rate of 0.6% in the. 2nd quarter of this year, above projections for a reading of. 0.5%. A separate report showed the German economy suddenly. contracted in the 2nd quarter, but this had little bearing on. expectations for rate of interest.

German 10-year Bund yields were consistent around. 2.358%.

' CALM BEFORE THE STORM'

Rates of interest remain front and centre. Japanese federal government. bond yields edged lower with the 10-year JGB yield. ending down 3 basis points at 0.995%. Ten-year. U.S. Treasury yields reduced 1 bp to 4.1685%.

The term 'calm before the storm' has actually been heard throughout the. floors, said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone in. Melbourne. This is a day for position management and to evaluate. broad direct exposures.

Markets are pricing almost no possibility of a U.S. rate cut this. week, but have completely priced a 25-basis-point reduction in the. Fed Funds rate for September therefore anticipate policymakers to sound. dovish.

In Japan, a more comprehensive range of results is on the table, with. markets pricing an almost 60% possibility of a 10-basis-point rate. walking and expecting to hear about how the Bank of Japan plans to. edge its way out of a huge bond-buying program.

The dollar and yen wandered, but kept in fairly compact. varieties after current breakout moves.

The euro edged up 0.12% to $1.0833, while the yen. , which has rebounded dramatically from a 38-year low of. 161.96 per dollar struck early in July, came under pressure,. leaving the dollar/yen pair up 0.46% at 154.725 per dollar.

We are at an intriguing intersection for yen here, stated. Nathan Swami, head of currency trading at Citi in Singapore,. with this week's central bank meetings perhaps sketching a. shift in the rates outlook and the yen's trajectory.

It is too early to tell if the elements driving yen weak point. have actually changed permanently. In the meantime, this seems more like a. short-term correction to the USD/JPY higher pattern, but we feel. there is disadvantage danger that needs to be priced into a trade.

Later on in the day, Microsoft and chipmaker AMD. will report earnings after the bell in New york city, while. initial CPI data is due in Germany and Spain.

Australian inflation information will also be launched on Wednesday. and the Bank of England is priced for an approximately even chance of a. rate cut at its policy meeting on Thursday.

(source: Reuters)