AM Best upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A+ from A and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to ?aa-? from ?a+? of Solen Versicherungen AG and Noble Assurance Company. The ratings reflect SVAG?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
U.S. Treasury yields were lower on Thursday, a day after investors adopted a hawkish view of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's first meeting and sent short-term yields to their highest level in 16 months. The two-year yield, the most sensitive to Fed rate-change expectations, was down 1 basis point on Thursday at 4.153%, after rising as high as 4.207% a day earlier.
NEW YORK, June 18, 2026 The Conference Board Leading Economic Index? for the US increased slightly by 0.1% in May 2026 to 99.3, following a 0.2% increase in April.
* Indexes up: Dow 0.70%, S&P 500 0.84%, Nasdaq 0.87% * Intel (INTC) up after Trump says co to partner with Apple (AAPL) on chip design. * Accenture (ACN) tumbles on trimming top-end of its FY revenue forecast. * Data showed weekly jobless claims fell amid low layoffs. By Twesha Dikshit and Joel Jose.
"The upgrade recognizes two important factors: the strong operating performance of Vogtle Units 3 and 4 since entering commercial service and the strength of the project's contractual framework," said Ernest Libershteyn, MEAG director of finance and treasury.
AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb? of Juniata Mutual Insurance Company. The Credit Ratings reflect JMIC?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A-, the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?a-? and the Indonesia National Scale Rating of aaa.ID of PT Asuransi Astra Buana. The ratings reflect Asuransi Astra?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?a? of Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.. The outlook of these Credit Ratings is stable. The ratings reflect HMF?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, favourable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
* Nine out of 19 policymakers see a need for hike this year. * U.S. and Iran released the text of an interim agreement. * Brent futures sank to its lowest since March 2. By Anjana Anil.
AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B and the Long-Term ICR of ?bb+? of Veterinary Professional Insurance Society Incorporated.
Gold traded lower early Thursday as the dollar rose to its highest level in more than a year after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, while signaling that rates could rise later this year. Gold for July delivery was last seen down US$106.50 to US$4,274.90 per ounce.
* Futures up: Dow 0.44%, S&P 500 0.85%, Nasdaq 1.6% * Intel (INTC) up after Trump says company to partner with Apple (AAPL) on chip design. * Accenture (ACN) tumbles on trimming top-end of its FY revenue forecast. * Data showed weekly jobless claims fell amid low layoffs. By Twesha Dikshit and Joel Jose.
New Zealand?s leading digital services and connectivity provider partners with Rimini Street (RMNI) to stabilize mission-critical Oracle systems, solve complex interoperability challenges and fund AI transformation Rimini Street (RMNI), Inc., the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company? and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced One New Zealand is le...
* FTSE 100 down 0.9%, FTMC down 0.8% * Tesco (TSCDF) falls on weak Q1 sales growth. * Intertek (IKTSF) up after agreeing EQT takeover. * BoE holds rate steady as expected. UK's main stock indexes retreated on Thursday, pressured by miners and financials, after the Bank of England held steady on interest rates, while the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance also weighed on sentiment.
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week as layoffs remained low, underpinning the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended June 13, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 226,000 in the employment survey week ended June 13 from an upwardly revised 230,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a larger decrease to 225,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET. Initial claims were at a level of 210,000 in the employment survey week ended May 16.
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week as layoffs remained low, underpinning the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended June 13, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
The agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war, and the subsequent fall in oil prices, are good news for central bankers worried that high energy costs will spill over into broader price pressures.
* Fed holds, but updated projections mean markets see a hike soon. * BOJ raises rates to 1%, a 31-year high. * BoE, SNB, Norges Bank all hold steady. By Alun John. The agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war, and the subsequent fall in oil prices, are good news for central bankers worried that high energy costs will spill over into broader price pressures.
Completed integration of recent acquisitions of Greater Than One and Spring & Bond strengthens Real Chemistry?s media and omnichannel offering Company advances its first-in-class, AI-powered omnichannel orchestration engine through a collaboration with AWS NEW YORK---- Real Chemistry, a leader in AI-driven insights and marketing and communications exclusively for the healthcare and life science...
* Euro zone bond yields nudge higher. * Traders weigh hawkish shift from Fed. * Markets pricing in one more ECB rate hike this year. By Sophie Kiderlin. Euro zone bond yields picked up on Thursday as traders weighed a hawkish shift from the Federal Reserve in a busy week for global central banks, while the U.S. and Iran said they signed a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The US dollar rose against its major trading partners early Thursday ahead of the release of weekly jobless claims and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve's manufacturing reading for May, both at 8:30 am ET.
* Fed held rates steady on Wednesday. * U.S. dollar index up 0.7% * Hawkish Fed leaves gold with greater bias of dipping - analyst. * Platinum, palladium fall over 2% By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices eased on Thursday, as a firmer dollar and hawkish signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve reduced the appeal of the non-yielding bullion.
Indian government bonds extended gains for a sixth straight session on Thursday as falling oil prices outweighed pressure from the U.S. Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook, pushing the benchmark 10-year yield near a more than three-month low.
European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday as traders mulled the somewhat hawkish commentary that new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh delivered overnight, and prospects for a tighter US monetary policy in the seasons ahead. Food and property stocks led broad, tempered losses on continental trading floors.
European Union leaders will debate new and tougher measures on Thursday that could be needed to curb the bloc's growing trade deficit with China and its heavy reliance on the world's second-largest economy for rare earths and other critical supplies.
The Iran war-induced inflation surge is becoming too much for central banks around the world to simply look past and a string of them, led by the U.S. Federal Reserve, have either raised borrowing costs or signalled likely moves to tame price growth.
* Fed and BoE have both signalled rate hikes. * ECB, BOJ have already pulled the trigger. * Oil market normalisation will be drawn out. * Central banks' inflation-fighting credibility is on the line. By Balazs Koranyi and Leika Kihara.
* Futures up: Dow 0.32%, S&P 500 0.75%, Nasdaq 1.49% * Intel (INTC) up after Trump says company to partner with Apple (AAPL) on chip design. * Weekly jobless claims awaited later in the day. By Twesha Dikshit and Joel Jose. U.S. stock index futures bounced back on Thursday as optimism about a Middle East peace deal lifted sentiment, tempering worries about a hawkish Federal Reserve under new Chair Kevin Warsh.
* Dollar rallies on Fed rate hike bets, knocking pound. * BoE holds rates, analysts say it looks relatively dovish. * Traders watching election that could threaten PM Keir Starmer. By Harry Robertson.
The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at 3.75% in June, as it has since the start of the U.S.-Iran war, judging it would be premature to raise rates now given uncertainty about the strength of increased inflation pressures.
Commerzbank in its "European Sunrise" note of Thursday highlighted: Markets: United States Treasuries fall after the Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday, with the curve flattening, partly reverse losses in Asia. Fed keeps rates unchanged, removes reference to additional rate adjustments and drops easing bias in statement.
What matters in U.S. and global markets today. By Anna Szymanski, Editor-in-Charge, Reuters Open Interest. Markets bristled at the Federal Reserve's hawkish tilt - but only briefly.
What matters in U.S. and global markets today By Anna Szymanski, Editor-in-Charge, Reuters Open Interest. Markets bristled at the Federal Reserve's hawkish tilt - but only briefly. I'll get into that and more below. KEVIN WHO? As a reminder, Trump did signal in recent weeks that he would provide Warsh with some breathing room.
* Dollar rises after Fed's hawkish hold leads to rate hike bets. * Yen's renewed weakness raises intervention risks. * U.S.-Iran deal eases oil prices. By Jiaxing Li and Harry Robertson. The U.S. dollar rose to its highest in more than a year on Thursday after a hawkish hold from the Federal Reserve triggered bets on rate hikes, while yen weakness drew verbal warnings from Japanese officials.
Large U.S. banks on Thursday will formally pitch the central bank on tweaks to a Federal Reserve proposal aimed at reducing the funds they must set aside to absorb potential losses, as the central bank enters the last leg of a marathon overhaul of U.S. capital rules.
Copper prices lost traction on Thursday, as the dollar strengthened following a hawkish U.S. central bank meeting and due to wariness about the U.S.-Iran peace deal. Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 1% at $13,682 a metric ton at 0930 GMT, after it ended with a 0.3% gain in the previous session.
* Banks seek technical tweaks that could further reduce some new capital hikes. * Industry plans to challenge capital charges on trading activities, four industry officials said. * Largest banks also want GSIB surcharge recalibrated using economic growth since 2015. By Pete Schroeder and Nupur Anand.
Societe Generale in its early Thursday economic news summary pointed out: -- US dollar is bid, two-year United States Treasury yield spikes to 4.21% after hawkish FOMC, three-month SOFR pricing +25bps in October. -- Fed: hawkish hold, nine of 18 FOMC members want a rate hike in 2026, six want two hikes or more.
* South Korea's KOSPI crosses 9,000 pts for first time. * Bank Indonesia raises benchmark rate to 5.75% * Taiwan's cenbank holds rate at 2% as expected. By Avinash P and Ragini Mathur. An index tracking emerging-market equities edged higher on Thursday, and heavyweight South Korean stocks hit a record, as sentiment improved after the presidents of the United States and Iran signed a peace deal.
* Futures up: Dow 0.38%, S&P 500 0.72%, Nasdaq 1.36% U.S. stock index futures rebounded on Thursday after the previous session's selloff as optimism about a Middle East peace deal lifted shares of technology firms including Intel (INTC), tempering worries about a hawkish Federal Reserve under new Chair Warsh.
* FTSE 100 down 0.9%, FTMC down 0.6% * Tesco (TSCDF) falls on weak Q1 sales growth. * Intertek (IKTSF) up after agreeing EQT takeover. * BoE rate decision at 12:00 GMT. Britain's main stock indexes fell on Thursday, pressured by financials and materials as investors awaited the Bank of England's rate decision and assessed the Federal Reserve's hawkish policy outlook.
* Fed held rates steady on Wednesday. * Spot gold fell 1.7% in the previous session. * Hawkish Fed leaves gold with greater bias of dipping - analyst. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold inched up on Thursday as support from lower oil prices following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal countered pressure from a stronger dollar and hawkish Federal Reserve rhetoric.
* Oil falls 2.8% to about $77 a barrel, the lowest since early March. * Tokyo and Seoul shares hit record highs overnight while Europe's STOXX 600 slips 0.5% * Money markets now fully expect a U.S. rate hike by October. By Amanda Cooper.
* Dollar holds ground after Fed's hawkish hold. * U.S.-Iran deal eases oil prices, aids risk sentiment. * Yen's renewed weakness raises intervention risks. By Jiaxing Li. The U.S. dollar hovered close to a two-month high on Thursday after a hawkish hold from the Federal Reserve triggered bets on rate hikes, while yen weakness drew verbal warnings from Japanese officials.
The Kevin Warsh era at the Federal Reserve began with a jolt on Wall Street, with investors bracing for sharp moves as the central bank pulls back from signaling possible future interest rate moves.
* Fed held rates steady on Wednesday. * Spot gold fell 1.7% in the previous session. * Hawkish Fed leaves gold with greater bias of dipping - analyst. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold firmed on Thursday as lower oil prices following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal helped bullion recover from losses in the previous session triggered by hawkish Federal Reserve rhetoric.
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.
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