New York (AFP) – European and US stocks advanced Tuesday, lifting Wall Street indices to fresh records, as investors focused on first-quarter corporate earnings instead of uncertainty over the fragile US-Iran ceasefire. Oil prices pulled back, even as the United Arab Emirates said it came under a second day of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Iran and US forces traded fire Monday as they vied for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial export route for oil, gas, and fertilizer whose blockage has disrupted the global economy. However, markets appeared reassured by comments from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the US was “not looking for a fight” in the strait, even as he vowed that Iranian attacks would “face overwhelming and devastating American firepower.” Investors also greeted an announcement from Denmark’s freight giant Maersk that one of its ships had successfully sailed through Hormuz under US escort.
All three major US indices pushed higher, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ending at fresh records. The Nasdaq led the US benchmarks with a one percent surge, partly due to huge increases in chip companies, including double-digit percentage gains by Intel and Micron. “The market psychology and the market momentum are so positive right now that as long as the news isn’t truly terrible, the stock market seems inclined to rally,” said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. “US equities continue to get a boost from the first quarter earnings season,” said Trade Nation analyst David Morrison.
In Europe, Paris and Frankfurt ended the day with gains of more than one percent. London’s FTSE 100 index fell 1.4 percent as traders returned from a UK bank holiday. The index was weighed by a sharp drop to the share price of banking giant HSBC, whose first-quarter earnings missed expectations as profits were hit by a surprise $400 million fraud-related charge and economic risks from the Middle East crisis. Shares in Italian bank UniCredit jumped more than six percent in Milan after it reported a sharp rise in first-quarter net profit. “First-quarter corporate earnings have largely been robust so far which has helped to sustain global equities despite the uncertain backdrop,” said AJ Bell head of markets Dan Coatsworth. “However, the longer the situation goes on without any sign of a lasting resolution, the harder it will be for investors to remain positive,” he added.
– Oil price falls – International oil benchmark Brent North Sea fell four percent to under $110 per barrel after sharp gains the previous day. Crude prices surged Monday after the US military said it hit six Iranian boats threatening commercial shipping and its forces repelled missiles and drones. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, said it was targeted by Iranian strikes, including one on its vital Fujairah energy hub. Fears that the ceasefire could fall apart weighed on Asian equities, with Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangkok, Manila, and Wellington all down. Sydney also retreated as the Australian central bank hiked interest rates for the third straight meeting, citing rising energy prices. Tokyo and Shanghai were closed for holidays.
– Key figures at around 2015 GMT – Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 4.0 percent to $109.87 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.9 percent at $102.27 a barrel. New York – Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 49,298.25 (close). New York – S&P 500: UP 0.8 percent at 7,259.22 (close). New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 25,326.13 (close). London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.4 percent at 10,219.11 (close). Paris – CAC 40: UP 1.1 percent at 8,062.31 (close). Frankfurt – DAX: UP 1.7 percent at 24,401.70 (close). Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.8 percent at 25,898.61 (close). Tokyo – Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday. Shanghai – Composite: Closed for a holiday. Dollar/yen: UP at 157.85 yen from 157.24 yen on Monday. Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1696 from $1.1691. Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3544 from $1.3532. Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.36 pence from 86.41 pence.
© 2024 AFP
