GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks resume slide as Trump extension fails to calm markets

BY Reuters | TREASURY | 05:20 AM EDT

* Stocks continue to slide as Trump fails to calm markets

* US president extended key deadline but oil prices rise again

* US Treasury yields hit highest since July as bonds fall

(Updates throughout for European session)

By Harry Robertson and Stella Qiu

LONDON/SYDNEY, March 27 (Reuters) - Global stock markets fell again on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump's extension of a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz failed to calm oil prices or government bonds.

Trump's postponement of the deadline, after which he has said Iran will face attacks on its energy infrastructure, came just after Wall Street stocks closed out their biggest one-day fall since the war began on Thursday.

Markets appeared sceptical about the chances of a deal between the two sides being struck, however, with oil prices rising once again on Friday and government bonds sliding.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index dropped 0.7% in early trading after sliding 1.1% on Thursday.

MSCI's index of Asian shares excluding Japan fell 0.6% overnight.

MARKETS SHRUG OFF TRUMP DELAY

Futures for the U.S. S&P 500 gave up earlier gains and were last flat, after tumbling 1.7% in the previous session.

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.4% on Thursday, leaving the index down nearly 11% from its record-high close in late October. Nasdaq futures were also flat.

A Wall Street Journal report that Trump was considering sending more troops added to concern about the war escalating into a ground conflict, with no certainty that the Strait of Hormuz - through which 20% of global energy typically flows - will be reopened to shipping soon.

An Iranian official dismissed a U.S. proposal to end the conflict as "one-sided and unfair" on Thursday.

"Words alone aren't cutting it right now, with President Trump's extension of the pause on Iran energy strikes failing to lift the mood in any meaningful way," said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

"Tangible evidence of progress is what's needed."

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, rose around 2% to $110 a barrel.

GLOBAL BOND YIELDS SURGE

Government bond yields rose after jumping on Thursday as investors grappled with a potential inflationary shock that could force central banks to raise interest rates. Yields rise as prices fall and vice versa.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, which sets the tone for borrowing costs around the world, rose 4 basis points to 4.456%, its highest level since July.

Money markets now see a roughly 70% chance the U.S. Federal Reserve raises rates this year, a sharp change from late February when traders were betting on two cuts in 2026.

Germany's 10-year bond yield rose to its highest level since 2011 at more than 3.1%.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the currency against six peers, rose 0.1% for a fourth straight session of gains.

(Reporting by Harry Robertson in London and Stella Qiu in Sydney; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sonali Paul)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

fir_news_article