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Worldwide shares hold gains on Fed rate cut bets, reducing economic downturn concerns

Worldwide stocks were at their highest in a month on Tuesday, taking cues from a Wall Street rally driven by expectations the Federal Reserve might use further hints of imminent rate cuts and relieving economic downturn worries.

With the information calendar fairly light across major economies today, all eyes are on Wednesday's release of the Fed's July conference minutes and Chair Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole on Friday for hints on the outlook for U.S. rates.

Fed policymakers have in current days signified possible reducing in September, priming markets for a similar tone from Powell and other speakers at the annual meeting of worldwide central lenders in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Ought to they acknowledge the U.S. economy's disinflation path, it will validate a September rate cut, stated Thierry Wizman, worldwide FX and rates strategist at Macquarie.

Markets will likely switch on the level to which Powell unlocks for the possibility of a 50 basis point cut at among the next 3 FOMC meetings.

Futures markets are totally pricing in a 25 basis point cut from the Fed in September, with around a 25% possibility of a 50 basis point cut.

In Europe, the STOXX 600 index hit its greatest level because August 1 but was last little altered on the day, having recuperated all the losses seen after a weak U.S. labour market report prompted stress over the health of the economy.

Because the report, we've had number after number after number suggesting that an economic downturn in the U.S. economy is not around the corner, said Josephine Cetti, chief financial investment strategist at Nordea, mentioning strong U.S. retail sales, upbeat company studies, enhancing unemployed claims numbers and a benign inflation reading.

The recession fears have actually been dampened over the last couple of weeks and the marketplace has actually rebounded a lot, Cetti added.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan hit a one-month high before giving up some gains to trade 0.3% greater.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose to its strongest level in over two weeks, closing up 1.8%, however Chinese blue-chips fell 0.7% on ongoing worries over the country's. dismal economic outlook. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index. edged down 0.3%.

U.S. stock futures edged up, with S&P 500 futures and. Nasdaq futures advancing 0.1%. Both indexes have gotten. for 8 straight days, the longest favorable streak this year.

That left worldwide stocks 0.1% greater, at. their strongest level in over a month.

FED EXPECTATIONS DENT DOLLAR

Expectations of a dovish Fed outcome this week left the. dollar having a hard time at an over seven-month low versus the euro. , which peaked at $1.1089 on Tuesday. Sterling. touched a one-month high and last bought $1.3012.

The dollar index was last at 101.79, having actually fallen to. its lowest since early January of 101.76 earlier in the session.

Against the yen, the dollar was down 0.1% at 146.45. , with traders seeking to Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo. Ueda's look in parliament on Friday, where he is set to. talk about the reserve bank's choice last month to raise interest. rates.

The BOJ's hawkish tilt had injected big volatility into. markets as financiers aggressively loosen up yen-funded carry. trades, rocking stocks internationally.

The market turmoil has since eased off after BOJ Deputy. Governor Shinichi Uchida earlier this month soft-pedaled the. chance of more rate walkings in the near term.

With markets soothing, Ueda may change tack and go back to. speaking about normalising rate of interest, stated Joseph Capurso,. head of global and sustainable economics at Commonwealth. Bank of Australia.

In products, oil costs reversed previously losses, with. Brent crude last up 0.4% at $77.96 a barrel. U.S. crude. rose 0.2% to $74.51 per barrel.

Spot gold touched another record high of $2525.24 an. ounce, drawing support from a broadly weaker dollar and on. expectations of imminent U.S. rate cuts.

(source: Reuters)