London (AFP) – Major stock markets and the dollar traded mixed Thursday as traders weighed a cautious Federal Reserve, strong tech earnings, and new US tariffs. The US central bank held interest rates steady Wednesday and refrained from suggesting it would cut them any time soon as inflation stays stubbornly high in the world’s biggest economy.
Ahead of US jobs data Friday, focus was on company earnings, with energy giant Shell plus automakers Renault and BMW reporting profit slumps after Microsoft and Facebook owner Meta posted better-than-expected earnings. The two American giants saw their share prices soar in futures trading ahead of Wall Street’s reopening Thursday and results from Amazon and Apple.
“US markets are expected to enjoy a buoyant open thanks in no small part to the bumper earnings seen from Meta and Microsoft,” noted Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at trading group Rostro. The latest developments on the tariffs front saw Trump announce a deal that sees 15 percent levies on South Korean goods and a commitment from Seoul to invest $350 billion in the United States. The president Thursday said his sweeping tariffs were making the US “great & rich again.”
It came after he revealed that India would face 25 percent tolls, coupled with an unspecified penalty over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian weapons and energy. Trump has also signed an executive order implementing an additional tax on Brazilian products, as he lambasts what he calls Brazil’s “witch hunt” against his far-right ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, on coup charges. Traders are keeping tabs on talks with other countries that are yet to sign deals with Washington ahead of Trump’s self-imposed Friday deadline.
After a broadly negative session Wednesday on Wall Street, Asian markets struggled. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, Wellington, and Jakarta closed lower, while Tokyo, Taipei, Mumbai, and Bangkok climbed. London was higher around midday in the UK, while eurozone indices Paris and Frankfurt steadied. The yen retreated against the dollar after the Bank of Japan decided against hiking interest rates, while lifting economic growth and inflation costs. The BoJ cautiously welcomed the country’s trade deal with the United States.
– Key figures at around 1045 GMT –
London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 9,189.22 points
Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,852.55
Frankfurt – DAX: FLAT at 24,261.38
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 41,069.82 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.6 percent at 24,773.33 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 3,573.21 (close)
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 44,632.99 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1434 from $1.1409 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3220 from $1.3239
Dollar/yen: UP at 149.98 yen from 149.50 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 86.50 pence from 86.15 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $69.67 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.6 percent at $72.05
© 2024 AFP
