NEW YORK: Global stocks and the euro rallied on Wednesday, Jan 12 after healthy demand for Portugal's bond sale eased concern over the debt crisis in Europe, while a surge in corn and soybean futures powered a broad rally in commodity prices.
European stocks hit a 28-month closing high, lifted by speculation the European Union will bolster the region's rescue fund, and government bond prices dropped after the Portuguese bond auction reduced investors' appetite for safety.
U.S. stocks also surged on the improved sentiment over Europe's debt crisis and on a brighter outlook for U.S. banks after a Wells Fargo upgrade for the sector and on comments that JPMorgan Chase & Co could soon pay an annual dividend.
"It's a bit of relief from the fear that was running really high some days ago. There was talk that Portugal could be asking for help very soon," said Klaus Wiener, chief economist at Generali Investments in Cologne, Germany.
"Equity markets are rising because we have a fairly decent global macroeconomic backdrop. The fast-growing regions are still powering ahead and we see growth accelerating in the U.S. as well," he added.
The euro jumped more than 1 percent to a session high of $1.3144 and broke above its 200-day moving average of $1.3071 on trading platform EBS.
Still, the euro's gains could be short-lived as analysts believe the government in Lisbon will continue to struggle and still may turn to the EU and International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
"Markets are far from convinced that the crisis has begun, let alone ended," said Alan Wilde, head of fixed-income and currency at Baring Asset Management in London, which oversees $50 billion in assets.
World stocks as measured by MSCI's all-country world index advanced 1.5 percent, while its emerging markets index surged 1.9 percent.
Stocks in Tokyo were poised to open higher, with the March futures contract that trades in Chicago for the Nikkei 225 up 35 points at 10,620.
COMMODITY-RELATED SHARES RISE
U.S. stocks rose on signs of strength in the U.S. banking sector, improved sentiment due to the Portuguese bond sale and a rise in commodity-related shares as soybean and corn futures hit 30-month highs.
A U.S. government report said that American stockpiles of corn and soybeans would be drawn down to surprisingly low levels.
Soybean and corn futures jumped 4 percent each on the Chicago Board of Trade.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 83.56 points, or 0.72 percent, at 11,755.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 11.48 points, or 0.90 percent, at 1,285.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 20.50 points, or 0.75 percent, at 2,737.33.
Shares of seed company Monsanto Co rose 3.3 percent to $74.92 while Exxon Mobil Corp gained 1.2 percent to $76.58.
Earlier in Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of the region's top shares rose 1.5 percent to its highest close since September 2008, with Spanish banks leading.
The S&P is almost 9 percent higher since the start of December, in part on bets U.S. corporate earnings would be strong. While early results have justified that optimism, some analysts say it may be hard for equities to rise much beyond current levels.
"Sentiment has gotten heavily bullish, and eventually that will weigh on us," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia, where he helps oversee $105 billion in assets. "I don't think we'll get a correction, but a pullback or pause seems likely."
Gold rose to a one-week high as the dollar fell sharply against the euro but news that Europe could reach a comprehensive package in the next two months to solve the bloc's debt crisis put a damper on safe-haven demand.
U.S. gold futures for February delivery settled up $1.50 an ounce at $1,385.50.
Oil rose on a tighter supply outlook and after Portugal's bond sale soothed concern over the euro zone's finances, with Brent crude, the benchmark for oil trade in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, closing in on the $100 mark.
Brent hit a session high of $98.85 a barrel, the first time in 27 months it topped $98 as production shutdowns and growing global demand raised expectations of tighter supplies. It settled up 51 cents at $98.12.
U.S. light sweet crude oil settled up 75 cents at $91.86 a barrel.
U.S. Treasury debt prices pared earlier losses from a strong bid on the sale of reopened 10-year notes.
The 3.30 ratio of bids received over those accepted was the highest since the Treasury's 10-year note auction in April, according to Treasury data.
U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury notes, down half a point before the auction, later traded 8/32 lower in price to yield at 3.37 percent.
The dollar was down against a basket of major currencies, with the U.S. Dollar Index down 1.0 percent at 80.017. - Reuters
European stocks hit a 28-month closing high, lifted by speculation the European Union will bolster the region's rescue fund, and government bond prices dropped after the Portuguese bond auction reduced investors' appetite for safety.
U.S. stocks also surged on the improved sentiment over Europe's debt crisis and on a brighter outlook for U.S. banks after a Wells Fargo upgrade for the sector and on comments that JPMorgan Chase & Co could soon pay an annual dividend.
"It's a bit of relief from the fear that was running really high some days ago. There was talk that Portugal could be asking for help very soon," said Klaus Wiener, chief economist at Generali Investments in Cologne, Germany.
"Equity markets are rising because we have a fairly decent global macroeconomic backdrop. The fast-growing regions are still powering ahead and we see growth accelerating in the U.S. as well," he added.
The euro jumped more than 1 percent to a session high of $1.3144 and broke above its 200-day moving average of $1.3071 on trading platform EBS.
Still, the euro's gains could be short-lived as analysts believe the government in Lisbon will continue to struggle and still may turn to the EU and International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
"Markets are far from convinced that the crisis has begun, let alone ended," said Alan Wilde, head of fixed-income and currency at Baring Asset Management in London, which oversees $50 billion in assets.
World stocks as measured by MSCI's all-country world index advanced 1.5 percent, while its emerging markets index surged 1.9 percent.
Stocks in Tokyo were poised to open higher, with the March futures contract that trades in Chicago for the Nikkei 225 up 35 points at 10,620.
COMMODITY-RELATED SHARES RISE
U.S. stocks rose on signs of strength in the U.S. banking sector, improved sentiment due to the Portuguese bond sale and a rise in commodity-related shares as soybean and corn futures hit 30-month highs.
A U.S. government report said that American stockpiles of corn and soybeans would be drawn down to surprisingly low levels.
Soybean and corn futures jumped 4 percent each on the Chicago Board of Trade.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 83.56 points, or 0.72 percent, at 11,755.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 11.48 points, or 0.90 percent, at 1,285.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 20.50 points, or 0.75 percent, at 2,737.33.
Shares of seed company Monsanto Co rose 3.3 percent to $74.92 while Exxon Mobil Corp gained 1.2 percent to $76.58.
Earlier in Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of the region's top shares rose 1.5 percent to its highest close since September 2008, with Spanish banks leading.
The S&P is almost 9 percent higher since the start of December, in part on bets U.S. corporate earnings would be strong. While early results have justified that optimism, some analysts say it may be hard for equities to rise much beyond current levels.
"Sentiment has gotten heavily bullish, and eventually that will weigh on us," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia, where he helps oversee $105 billion in assets. "I don't think we'll get a correction, but a pullback or pause seems likely."
Gold rose to a one-week high as the dollar fell sharply against the euro but news that Europe could reach a comprehensive package in the next two months to solve the bloc's debt crisis put a damper on safe-haven demand.
U.S. gold futures for February delivery settled up $1.50 an ounce at $1,385.50.
Oil rose on a tighter supply outlook and after Portugal's bond sale soothed concern over the euro zone's finances, with Brent crude, the benchmark for oil trade in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, closing in on the $100 mark.
Brent hit a session high of $98.85 a barrel, the first time in 27 months it topped $98 as production shutdowns and growing global demand raised expectations of tighter supplies. It settled up 51 cents at $98.12.
U.S. light sweet crude oil settled up 75 cents at $91.86 a barrel.
U.S. Treasury debt prices pared earlier losses from a strong bid on the sale of reopened 10-year notes.
The 3.30 ratio of bids received over those accepted was the highest since the Treasury's 10-year note auction in April, according to Treasury data.
U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury notes, down half a point before the auction, later traded 8/32 lower in price to yield at 3.37 percent.
The dollar was down against a basket of major currencies, with the U.S. Dollar Index down 1.0 percent at 80.017. - Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment