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Shares and oil rate slip, with Mideast dangers, United States rates in focus

A gauge of worldwide shares dropped along with oil rates on Tuesday as investors weighed geopolitical dangers as well as approaching Nvidia profits and U.S. inflation information.

Markets are expecting an impending start to the Federal Reserve's monetary policy easing, after Chair Jerome Powell said on Friday the reserve bank was ready to start cutting rates.

All three major U.S. indexes were trading lower, with the benchmark S&P 500 down 0.19% to 5,606.07, the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.01% to 41,235.73, and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 0.53% to 17,633.19.

European stocks were slightly higher, following a. late rally in Japan's Nikkei index. MSCI's all-country index of. stocks < was down 0.14 >% at 829.02.

Gold hovered above $2,500 per ounce on rate cut. expectations and sticking around issues about the Middle East. conflict, intensified by a significant rocket exchange between Israel. and Hezbollah on Sunday.

Middle East tensions - together with issues about a potential. shutdown of Libyan oil fields - had actually caused a rise in oil prices. of more than 7% over the previous three sessions. However, that. rally slowed on Tuesday, with a minor dip in prices.

It would be a genuine shock not to get a (Fed) rate cut in. September, said Guy Miller, primary market strategist at Zurich. Insurance Group, including an initial 25 basis point cut was most. likely.

It was also interesting that he didn't truly press against. the marketplace expectations of 100 plus basis points of rate cuts. between now and year-end, Miller included.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback. versus a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro,. fell 0.07% to 100.78, with the euro up 0.01% at. $ 1.1162.

A key measure of U.S. inflation due on Friday might even more. influence market perceptions of how quickly the Fed will act.

Financiers were likewise on edge ahead of Nvidia's. earnings report on Wednesday, where anything except an excellent. projection from the chipmaker might jolt investor confidence in. the AI-fuelled rally.

I think Nvidia will take more value than the. inflation information, stated Michaël Nizard, head of multi-asset at. financier Edmond de Rothschild.

We understand that the rate of inflation is going well. We do not. understand what might be the assistance for this huge, big actor in. artificial intelligence. This might be a bump for the market.

Also keeping sentiment in check was a move by Canada,. following the lead of the United States and European Union, to. impose a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese electric vehicles and. a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminium from China.

Oil prices dipped, with Brent crude futures 0.95%. lower at $80.66 a barrel, while U.S. unrefined futures relieved. 1.1% to $76.57 a barrel.

(source: Reuters)