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European shares lower on revenues, bonds increased after Fed

Major European equity markets were lower on Thursday after a raft of business revenues in the U.S. and Europe, while prospects of upcoming policy easing in the United States increased international bonds.

The Federal Reserve held rate of interest stable on Wednesday however opened the door to a cut in September. Traders were betting that the Bank of England may move later in the day, with the possibility of a quarter-point cut around 60%.

Significant European markets were primarily lower with the pan-European STOXX 600 down 0.6%, and Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 both nursing losses of nearly 1.3%.

Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.3% before the BoE's. interest rate choice at 1100 GMT.

The truth that some heavyweights are cutting guidance does. not bode well going forward and may well discuss why European. markets are underperforming, said Stephane Ekolo, equity. strategist at TFS Derivatives.

Frustrating set of outcomes, slowing growth for. industrials, Chinese consumers no longer there to rescue need. and a possible renewal of inflation. You have a not so. pleasant cocktail.

Nasdaq futures acquired 0.1% as shares of. Facebook-parent Meta Platforms rose 7% pre-market on. strong revenues. The index rose 3% on Wednesday, while. the S&P 500 climbed up 1.6%.

U.S. tech stocks have made an extraordinary resurgence after. the current sell-off. AI beloved Nvidia rallied 13% on. Wednesday, including about $330 billion in stock market worth.

Tech giants Apple and Amazon.com will. report their revenues in the future Thursday.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. climbed up 0.4%, after ending July mostly flat. A. local MSCI IT index jumped 1.7% and Taiwan's. shares surged 2%.

Japan's Nikkei, however, toppled 2.5% as a sharp. dive in the yen clouded the outlook for exporters.

The Japanese yen rallied to as much as 148.51 per. dollar its strongest level considering that March 15, a day after the Bank. of Japan raised rate of interest for the 2nd time in 17 years. and signalled more tightening to come.

It was last up 0.3% at 149.54.

FED SIGNALS SEPTEMBER CUT

Eyes stayed on the monetary policy outlook after Fed Chair. Jerome Powell stated policymakers had a genuine conversation about. cutting at the July meeting.

The central bank likewise stated the threats to work were now. on a par with those of rising prices.

As a result, markets - which have currently bet on a September. cut - are betting on a 10% opportunity that the Fed may choose a 50. basis points easing in September. For all of 2024, they have. priced in an overall easing of 72 basis points.

The statement was noteworthy because they eliminated the. tightening bias and changed it with a more neutral bias, stated. Jan von Gerich, primary expert at Nordea.

It's early however the truth we haven't really seen the rally. continue suggests that markets might be attempting to catch some. breath before tomorrow's payrolls report.

Treasuries extended their gains from Wednesday with the. yield on 10-year Treasuries down 5 basis indicate. 4.0564%, having actually dropped 11 bps the day before to the lowest. because March. Yields move inversely to prices.

After falling 0.4% on Wednesday, the dollar index. rebounded 0.3%, with the euro down 0.4% and sterling. lower by 0.5%.

In product markets, oil prices extended their surge after. the eliminating of a Hamas leader in Iran raised the risk of a. larger Middle East conflict.

Brent unrefined futures increased 0.9% to $81.57 per barrel,. while U.S. West Texas Intermediate unrefined futures. increased 1% to $78.65 per barrel.

Brent jumped about 2.3%, while U.S. crude increased over 4% in. the previous session.

Gold was down 0.5% at $2,435 an ounce.

(source: Reuters)