Stock Markets Net Chng Stock Markets Net Chng S&P/ASX 200** NZX 50** 55.63 7,015.60 60.20 11,586.93
DJIA 32,562.21 1.61 NIKKEI** 27,466.61 520.94
Nasdaq FTSE**
11,913.359 53.25 7,566.84 30.62
S&P 500 4,010.91 7.95 Hang Seng**
19,591.43 332.67
SPI 200 Fut STI**
7,062.00 20.00 3,220.98 47.05
SSEC** KOSPI**
3,265.75 10.10 2,416.96 28.61
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Bonds Bonds
JP 10 YR Bond KR 10 YR Bond
0.329 0.002 3.295 -0.009
AU 10 YR Bond US 10 YR Bond
3.316 -0.053 3.5261 -0.08
NZ 10 YR Bond US 30 YR Bond
4.23 0 3.689 -0.047
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Currencies
SGD US$ KRW US$
1.3291 -0.0069 1,302.54 -0.88
AUD US$ NZD US$
0.67135 0.0043 0.624 0.0047
EUR US$ Yen US$
1.0842 0.0075 131.93 -0.56
THB US$ PHP US$
34.31 -0.13 54.4 0.1
IDR US$ INR US$
15,340 -15 82.635 -0.042
MYR US$ TWD US$
4.452 -0.018 30.526 -0.037
CNY US$ HKD US$
6.871 -0.0078 7.8467 0.0009
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Commodities
Spot Gold Silver (Lon)
1,956.39 16.2439 22.73 0.355
U.S. Gold Fut 1,953.00 11.9 Brent Crude
76.74 1.42
Iron Ore CNY865.5 -13.5 TRJCRB Index
- -
TOCOM Rubber JPY207 LME Copper 8,881.50 95
2.6
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** indicates closing price
All prices as of 18:16 GMT
EQUITIES GLOBAL - World stocks steadied near two-week highs on Wednesday as investors held out hope that the banking crisis is receding for now, as they awaited the outcome of a Federal Reserve policy meeting. This all lifted global equities, as tracked by MSCI's World Stock Index , to a near two-week-high, as the index rose 0.46%. For a full report, click on - - - -
NEW YORK - Wall Street's main indexes struggled for direction on Wednesday as investors refrained from making large bets ahead of the outcome of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting amid turmoil in the banking sector. At 11:36 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 33.51 points, or 0.10%, at 32,527.09, the S&P 500 was up 3.18 points, or 0.08%, at 4,006.05, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 31.20 points, or 0.26%, at 11,891.31. For a full report, click on - - - -
LONDON - European stocks edged higher on Wednesday, extending gains for a third day, as investors awaited a crucial monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve amid turmoil in the banking sector. The pan-European STOXX 600 index inched 0.2% up after a two-day bounce. For a full report, click on - - - -
TOKYO - Japan's financial stocks joined a global rally on Wednesday to help lift the Nikkei share average by 1.9%, its biggest gain in two months, even as investors braced for a crucial U.S. Federal Reserve policy decision later in the day. The Nikkei rose 1.9%, its biggest gain since Jan. 18, to end the day at 27,466.61. For a full report, click on - - - -
SHANGHAI - China and Hong Kong stocks rallied for a second day after U.S. banking stocks rebounded overnight on hopes that a global banking crisis has been averted for now, while investors waited for the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision later in the day. China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index were up 0.43%, while the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.31%. For a full report, click on - - - -
AUSTRALIA - Australian shares ended higher on Wednesday, mirroring gains in global markets, on hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision will address investor concerns of a meltdown in the global banking sector. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 0.9% higher at 7,018.10 points. The benchmark had notched gains of 0.8% on Tuesday. For a full report, click on - - - -
SEOUL - South Korean shares jumped on Wednesday as commitment by the U.S. to prevent a wider banking crisis lifted risk appetite, with the benchmark index returning to levels traded two weeks ago.
The KOSPI rose 28.61 points, or 1.20%, to 2,416.96 by the close, building on a 0.39% gain in the previous session. For a full report, click on - - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE NEW YORK - The dollar edged up but hovered around five-week lows on Wednesday, before the conclusion of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting at which investors will be looking for any insight into what might happen with interest rates given the turmoil in the banking sector. The dollar index rose 0.029% at 103.180, with the euro up 0.1% to $1.0778. For a full report, click on - - - -
SHANGHAI - China's yuan eased against the dollar on Wednesday as investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting. The onshore yuan opened at 6.8746 per dollar and weakened to 6.8870 at midday, 82 pips softer than the previous late session close. For a full report, click on - - - -
AUSTRALIA - The Australian and New Zealand dollars struggled on Wednesday after markets swung back to expecting more interest rate hikes from the U.S. and Europe with the ebbing of banking fears. The Aussie was hovering at $0.6684 , after falling 0.7% to as low as $0.6650, despite a broad improvement in risk appetite. For a full report, click on - - - -
SEOUL - The Korean won strengthened, while the benchmark bond yield slipped.
The won ended onshore trade at 1,307.7 per dollar, 0.27% higher than its previous close. For a full report, click on - - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S Treasury yields edged higher on Wednesday before the Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates by an additional 25 basis points as investors weighed whether Fed Chair Jerome Powell is also likely to adopt a more dovish or hawkish tone on future policy in light of recent stress in the banking system. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose 3 basis points to 3.634% on Wednesday. For a full report, click on - - - -
LONDON - Euro zone government bond yields rose on Wednesday as investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve policy meeting, with fears of a banking crisis fading and European Central Bank (ECB) hawks calling for more rate hikes. Germany's 10-year yield , the euro zone's benchmark, rose 7 basis points (bps) to 2.345%.
For a full report, click on - - - -
TOKYO - Japanese government bond yields rose on Wednesday tracking a global rebound in yields from multi-month lows, as easing concerns about a banking meltdown weighed on appetite for safe-haven assets. Like the benchmark 10-year JGB , the two-year note and 30-year bond had yet to trade. They last yielded 0.23%, -0.08% and 1.23%, respectively. For a full report, click on COMMODITIES
GOLD Gold gained on Wednesday as Treasury yields and the dollar slipped, while traders positioned for the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate announcement and Chair Jerome Powell's comments on monetary policy. Spot gold rose 0.5% to $1,949.42 per ounce by 1:04 p.m. EDT (1704 GMT) after retreating 2% on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures were up 0.6% at $1,953.00. For a full report, click on - - - -
IRON ORE
Dalian and Singapore iron ore futures extended losses on Wednesday, with demand prospects temporarily weighed down by China's consideration to cut its crude steel output by around 2.5%. The most-traded May iron ore futures contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended daytime trading 2.15% lower at 865.5 yuan ($125.64) a tonne, its lowest since Feb. 15. For a full report, click on - - - -
BASE METALS
Copper prices rose for a fifth day on Wednesday as dwindling exchange inventories raised the threat of tight supply, but investors were cautious ahead of an interest rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve later in the day. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 1.4% at $8,881.50 a tonne by 1700 GMT, extending its recovery from last week's 10-week low of $8,442. For a full report, click on - - - -
OIL
Oil prices rose about 1% to a one-week high on Wednesday despite a surprise weekly build in U.S. crude inventories, as the dollar slid to a six-week low ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates which could affect the fuel demand outlook. Brent futures rose 89 cents, or 1.2%, to $76.21 a barrel by 1:32 p.m. EDT (1732 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 77 cents, or 1.1%, to $70.44. For a full report, click on - - - -
PALM OIL
Malaysian palm oil futures tumbled more than 3% on Wednesday to close at their lowest in five months, weighed down by sharp losses in rival edible oils and crude oil, and lingering concerns over the global banking crisis. The benchmark palm oil contract for June delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 117 ringgit, or 3.09%, to 3,667 ringgit ($824.42) a tonne, its lowest closing since Oct. 13. For a full report, click on - - - -
RUBBER
Japanese rubber futures edged lower on Wednesday, after a brief bounce earlier in
the session, as traders remained tense about the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's
interest rate decision.
The Osaka Exchange's rubber contract for August delivery , finished 0.6 yen, or 0.3%, lower at 204.4 yen ($1.54) per kg.
For a full report, click on - - - -
(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)
