Stock Markets Net Chng Stock Markets Net Chng S&P/ASX 200** 0 0.00 NZX 50** 11,855.54 -64.02
DJIA** 32,698.16 -158.3 NIKKEI** 28,444.19 135.03 Nasdaq** 11,539.76 9.43 FTSE** 7,929.92 10.44 S&P 500** 3,979.57 -6.8 Hang Seng** 20,051.25 -483.23 SPI 200 Fut 7,298 20.00 STI** 3,226.86 -18.41 SSEC** 3,283.2479 -1.85 KOSPI** 0 0.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Bonds Net Chng Bonds Net Chng JP 10 YR Bond 0.501 -0.004 KR 10 YR Bond 3.723 0.061 AU 10 YR Bond 3.679 -0.06 US 10 YR Bond 3.9814 0.006 NZ 10 YR Bond 4.628 -0.015 US 30 YR Bond 3.8822 -0.006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Currencies Net Chng Net Chng SGD US$ 1.3539 -0.001 KRW US$ 1,317.19 -1.1 AUD US$ 0.65895 0.00045 NZD US$ 0.6109 0.0003 EUR US$ 1.0543 -0.0004 Yen US$ 137.29 0.15 THB US$ 35.07 0 PHP US$ 55.35 0.3 IDR US$ 15,430 85 INR US$ 81.95 -0.05 MYR US$ 4.523 0.053 TWD US$ 30.79 0.196 CNY US$ 6.9565 -0.0109 HKD US$ 7.8498 0.0002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Commodities Net Chng Net Chng Spot Gold 1,814.45 0.93 Silver (Lon) 20.0668 0.0136 U.S. Gold Fut 1,818.60 0.90 Brent Crude 82.44 -0.85 Iron Ore CNY912 2.5 TRJCRB Index - - TOCOM Rubber JPY224.3 1.8 LME Copper 8,903.0 143.5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
** indicates closing price
All prices as of 20:36 GMT
EQUITIES GLOBAL - U.S. stocks struggled for direction and Treasury yields wavered on Wednesday as a barrage of robust economic data appeared to support Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's reassertion, in his second day of congressional testimony, that the central bank would continue to ratchet up policy rates until inflation subsides. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.08% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.29%. For a full report, click on - - - -
NEW YORK - The S&P 500 index .SPX edged lower on Wednesday as investors grappled with mixed messages from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and U.S. economic data ahead of February's labor and inflation reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 158.3 points, or 0.48%, to 32,698.16; the S&P 500 lost 6.8 points, or 0.17%, at 3,979.57; and the Nasdaq Composite added 9.43 points, or 0.08%, at 11,539.76. For a full report, click on - - - -
LONDON - European shares were muted on Wednesday as better-than-expected employment data from the U.S. fanned worries over Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's hawkish rhetoric on interest rates, while investors also assessed the euro zone's fourth-quarter growth numbers. However, the pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.1% higher, after hitting its lowest level in a week, likely helped by Powell's latest comments that the Fed had not decided on the size of this month's rate hike. For a full report, click on - - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average climbed to a 3-1/2-month high on Wednesday, rising for a fourth straight session, as a weakening yen buoyed the outlook for exporters. The Nikkei finished 0.48% higher at 28,444.19 after steadily extending gains in the afternoon session. It probed as high as 28,469.41 just minutes ahead of the close, a level last seen on Nov. 24. For a full report, click on - - - -
SHANGHAI - Hong Kong stocks slumped, while China shares fell slightly on Wednesday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank will likely need to raise interest rates more than expected. China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index edged down 0.36%, while the Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.06%. For a full report, click on - - - -
AUSTRALIA - Australian shares were set to open higher on Thursday, with local mining stocks likely rising on higher iron ore prices, while the country's central bank signaled it was closer to pausing the aggressive cycle of rate hikes. The local share price index futures rose 0.29%, an 8.8-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 0.8% on Wednesday.
For a full report, click on - - - -
SEOUL - South Korean shares fell more than 1% on Wednesday after hawkish comments by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell raised concerns that the Fed's monetary tightening would become more aggressive. The benchmark KOSPI closed down 31.44 points, or 1.28%, at 2,431.91. It was the first daily fall in six sessions. For a full report, click on - - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE NEW YORK - The dollar was steady on the day but down from three-month highs reached earlier on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered no major surprises on his second day of testimony before Congress and as investors waited for jobs data on Friday. The dollar index was last unchanged on the day against a basket of currencies at 105.63, after earlier reaching 105.88, the highest since Dec. 1. It is up from a nine-month low of 100.80 on Feb. 1 but remains well below a 20-year high of 114.78 reached on Sept. 28. For a full report, click on - - - -
SHANGHAI - China's yuan weakened to a more than two-month low against the dollar on Wednesday, approaching the threshold of 7 per dollar and pushed lower by broad greenback strength following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's hawkish rhetoric on U.S. interest rates. The broad dollar strength pushed down the official yuan guidance rate and the spot market. Before the market opened, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint rate at 6.9525 per dollar, which was 369 pips or 0.53% weaker than the previous fix of 6.9156 and the weakest in more than a week. For a full report, click on - - - -
AUSTRALIA - The Aussie dollar nursed losses at a four-month low on Wednesday as diverging interest rate expectations between the U.S. and Australia plunged local yields to the biggest discount versus Treasuries in almost four decades. The Aussie was at $0.6594, after tumbling 2.2% overnight to as low as $0.6580. It later found support at $0.6585, one of many troughs since November, and at retracement level of $0.6550. For a full report, click on - - - -
SEOUL - The Korean won on Wednesday posted its biggest daily loss since early February, while the benchmark bond yield rose. The won ended onshore trade 1.66% lower at 1,321.4 per dollar, marking its biggest daily fall since Feb. 6. For a full report, click on - - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields fell on Wednesday, with the two-year easing slightly from its highest level in nearly 16 years, as data showed the labor market remained tight and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified for a second straight day in Congress. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was down 5.6 basis points to 3.919%. For a full report, click on - - - -
LONDON - European government bond yields on Wednesday edged off the multi-year highs they hit earlier in sympathy with their U.S. equivalents after remarks by Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell spurred traders to price in more rate hikes. Germany's two-year yield reached 3.367% in early trade, its highest since 2008, before dropping back and was last up a whisker at 3.32%. For a full report, click on - - - -
TOKYO - Japan's 10-year government bond (JGB) yield on Wednesday fell below the top end of the Bank of Japan's policy ceiling for the first time in almost a month, despite upward pressure from U.S. peers. The 10-year JGB yield fell 0.5 basis points to 0.495%, after having held steady at the top end of the BOJ's target since Feb. 10. For a full report, click on COMMODITIES
GOLD Gold steadied on Wednesday after shedding nearly 2% in the previous session on an elevated dollar, with demand for the non-yielding asset blunted by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signalling more rate hikes. Spot gold was nearly flat at $1,813.85 per ounce by 1:44 p.m. ET (1844 GMT) after hitting its lowest since Feb. 28 at $1,809.27. U.S. gold futures settled 0.1% lower at $1,818.60. For a full report, click on - - - -
IRON ORE
Dalian iron ore extended gains on Wednesday as market participants bet on the prospect of steel demand picking up since China has entered its peak construction season. The most-traded May iron ore futures contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trading 0.83% higher at 912 yuan ($130.95) a tonne, following a rise of 1.34% on Tuesday. For a full report, click on - - - -
BASE METALS
Copper prices rose in London on Wednesday after two days of decline amid signs of limited supply and weaker dollar, making the metal more attractive for buyers with other currencies. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 1.6% at $8,903.0 a tonne by 1640 GMT after losing 2.4% in the first two days of the week. For a full report, click on - - - -
OIL
Oil prices fell on Wednesday as fears that more aggressive U.S. interest rate hikes would pressure economic growth and oil demand outweighed a larger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stocks. Brent crude futures were down 63 cents, or 0.8%, to $82.66 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures slipped 92 cents, or 1.2%, to $76.66 a barrel. For a full report, click on - - - -
PALM OIL
Malaysian palm oil futures edged lower on Wednesday to extend losses for a third straight session, as weaker rival vegetable oils weighed on prices. The benchmark palm oil contract for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 24 ringgit, or 0.57%, to 4,181 ringgit ($924.39) by the end of trading. For a full report, click on - - - -
RUBBER
Japanese rubber futures fell on Wednesday as prospects of more aggressive U.S. rate hikes reduced risk appetite, while a softer yen and stabilising oil prices lent some support to the market. Osaka Exchange's rubber contract for August delivery , finished 2.5 yen, or 1.1%, lower at 222.5 yen ($1.62) per kg. For a full report, click on - - - - (Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)
