New York (AFP) – European and US equities mostly rebounded Wednesday as a global bond selloff eased, with shares in Google parent Alphabet jumping after a favorable court ruling. Nevertheless, gold struck a new record high as investors continued to worry over mounting government debt, with Japanese bond yields hitting a new high.
Wall Street stocks were mostly higher, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index finishing up around one percent after a US judge refrained from requiring Google to sell its Chrome web browser in an antitrust case. Shares in Google parent Alphabet rose around nine percent, while Apple — whose lucrative deal to make Google search the default on iPhones was also spared in the court ruling — rose nearly four percent. “Overall, investors saw the outcome as supportive for big tech, showing that while regulatory scrutiny is ongoing, the business models of major players remain largely intact,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at financial services provider Trade Nation.
Meanwhile, a soft US labor market report helped boost investor confidence that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates, a positive for equities. European equities also firmed, but Asia’s major stock markets were in the red. The selloff in Japanese debt mirrored similar moves in the United States and Europe on Tuesday, with investors spooked over substantial piles of government debt globally. “Government bond yields have jumped sharply in recent days, largely because investors are demanding a higher return to lend to countries with heavy borrowing needs,” said Richard Carter, head of fixed interest research at Quilter Cheviot. It has been fueled by “ballooning sovereign debt, political hurdles to fiscal tightening…and structurally higher inflation following the Covid disruptions and the ongoing trade war,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.
Investors in Japan reacted also to concerns that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba might soon be forced to step down. In the United States, the 30-year government bond yield eased back, having come close to hitting the five-percent mark, reflecting concerns over the country’s deficit and the impact of a court ruling against President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Bonds of leading European nations also showed signs of stabilizing, a day after the yield on Britain’s 30-year gilts hit levels not seen since 1998.
Investors are “choosing to hold gold as protection against a host of uncertainties including President Trump’s tariffs, fiscal policy across major economies and rising bond yields,” said Trade Nation’s Morrison. Investors have also grown nervous about the US Federal Reserve’s future after Trump attempted to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. Trump’s intervention “raises questions about the long-term independence of US monetary policy — a concern that gold naturally absorbs as a hedge against political interference,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo bank.
Oil prices dropped back amid expectations of excess supply in the coming months as OPEC+ nations are expected to further unwind production cuts.
**Key figures at around 2030 GMT -**
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 45,271.23 (close)
New York – S&P 500: UP 0.5 percent at 6,448.26 (close)
New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 21,497.73 (close)
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.7 percent at 9,177.99 (close)
Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.9 percent at 7,719.71 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.5 percent at 23,594.80 (close)
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 41,938.89 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.6 percent at 25,343.43 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 3,813.56 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at 1.1663 from $1.1640 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at 1.3445 from $1.3394
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.12 yen from 148.36 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.75 pence from 86.90 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.3 percent at $67.55 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.5 percent at $63.97 per barrel
© 2024 AFP
