Societe Generale in its early Wednesday economic news summary pointed out: -- Bond yields back off technical support led by Japanese government bonds on dovish Bank of Japan board appointments, upside surprise for Australian core consumer price index, recovery in Tech stocks.
Sterling edged up against the dollar and the euro on Wednesday, with investors keeping a close eye on interest-rate divergence and market sentiment. Investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of ?Nvidia results due later in the session, while ?an uncertain UK political backdrop and the prospect of further Bank of England rate cuts left the ?near-term outlook for the pound unfavourable.
JP Morgan raised its long-term forecast for gold prices on Wednesday by 15% to $4,500 an ounce, while keeping its 2026 year-end forecast at $6,300. In a note to ?clients, the bank cited increased central ?bank buying, public announcements of U.S. Treasury divestment and countries shifting revenue bases away ?from the dollar and into Chinese renminbi.
Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) said Tuesday that it priced an underwritten registered public offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of 6.375% fixed-rate reset subordinated debentures due 2056 at an issue price of 100%. The company said it expects to close the offering on March 3 and plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including potentially refinancing debt oblig...
* The yen still under pressure on concerns that the Bank of Japan may turn more dovish. * Investors are awaiting Nvidia's (NVDA) earnings due late on Wednesday. * Strong Chinese export data provided support for the yuan. By Stefano Rebaudo and Tom Westbrook.
* Silver, platinum, palladium scale three-week highs. * Iran and US to hold new round of talks on Thursday. * Trump says "almost all" countries, corporations want to stick to tariff, investment agreements. By Noel John.
Longer-dated Japanese government bond yields rose at the fastest pace in a month on Wednesday, after the nomination of ?two academics seen as dovish to the central ?bank's board stoked concerns about the nation's fiscal health. The 30-year yield rose 9 bps ?to 3.365%. Yields move inversely to ?bond prices.
Whether it leads to doom-laden depression or a productivity nirvana, the artificial intelligence juggernaut now dominates macroeconomic thinking as well as stock market bets. The stock market is clearly obsessed with AI - and now increasingly focused on losers as ?well as the mega-cap winners.
* Merz emphasises fair cooperation and open communication. * Merz says rapidly widening trade deficit 'not healthy' * Li advocates for multilateralism, free trade amid US tensions. * Strain of Chinese competition sparks German protectionist calls. By Andreas Rinke, Liz Lee and Colleen Howe.
* Spot gold rises 1% * Silver up 3% to a three-week high. * Platinum, palladium also scale three-week highs. * U.S. starts collecting temporary new 10% global import tariff. By Ishaan Arora.
* Spot gold hit a three-week high in the previous session. * Later on Tuesday, bullion fell more than 1% on profit-taking. * U.S. starts collecting temporary new 10% global import tariff. By Ishaan Arora.
Copper extended gains on Wednesday as traders bet on restocking demand after Chinese market participants returned after holidays. The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed 0.82% to 102,440 yuan a metric ton ?as of 0310 GMT. The Shanghai contract touched ?102,600 yuan earlier this session, the highest since February 12.
Japan's shorter-dated bond yields fell further on Wednesday, as bets grew that the Bank of Japan may not hurry in ?raising rates after a report on ?Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's concerns about policy tightening.
Gold prices were broadly unchanged on Wednesday, after
falling more than 1% in the previous session, as the dollar held
on to recent gains and made greenback-priced metals ?more
expensive for ...
Australian consumer prices rose by more than expected in January, while core inflation hit the highest in over a year, an uncomfortable outcome for policymakers that raises the risk of another hike in interest rates.
A leading indicator of Japan's services sector prices rose 2.6% in January from a year earlier, ?data showed on Wednesday, a ?sign rising wages from a tight labour market continued to ?pile inflationary pressure on the economy.
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) announced today that it has priced an aggregate principal amount of $400,000,000 of 6.375% Fixed-Rate Reset Subordinated Debentures due 2056 pursuant to an underwritten registered public offering. RGA expects to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, which may include refinancing debt obligations.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO), one of the nation?s largest owners and operators of high-quality, grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping centers, today announced that its operating partnership, Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., has priced a public offering of $350 million aggregate principal amount of 4.750% senior unsecured notes due 2033.
TWO, an MSR-focused REIT, today announced that their subsidiary TH MSR Holdings LLC received a Freddie Mac Servicer Honors and Rewards Program award. This press release features multimedia.
While broader economic risks remain, market dynamics are being driven by supply, demand and income generation, rather than macro headlines, said Pat Haskell, head of the municipal bond group at BlackRock.
Financial stocks rose in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index increasing 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ahead 0.4%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was 0.1% higher, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.3%. Bitcoin was declining 0.2% to $64,528, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.03%. In s...
* Trump could lay out future trade policy in remarks later. * Investors want to go long Treasuries, rates trader says. * US 2/10 yield curve flattens for 10th straight session. * US rate futures still price in two cuts in 2026. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss.
Financial stocks rose in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index increasing 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ahead 0.4%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was fractionally higher, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.3%. Bitcoin was declining 0.2% to $64,528, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.0...
AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A from A+ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to ?a? from ?aa-? of Travelers Insurance Company of Canada. In addition, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A and the Long-Term ICR of ?a? of Definity Insurance Company.
Moos, who was most recently a managing director of municipal bond sales at Wells Fargo (WFC), will report to Bryan Baebler, BAM's head of municipal capital markets.
* Investors fear Trump's speech may increase market anxiety. * Potential topics include Iran, tariffs, and Federal Reserve governance. * Trump's affordability focus may affect bond market and credit card rates. By Suzanne McGee and Laura Matthews.
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said that the FOMC should maintain its focus on inflation and should not allow it to remain elevated but acknowledged the recent slowdown in hiring and the uncertainty that businesses face after the Trump Administration's tariffs were overturned.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose to 91.2 in February from an 89.0 reading in January due to an increase in the expectations reading that was offset by a decline in the present situation measure. The assessment of labor force conditions improved slightly in February, but the assessment of business conditions deteriorated.
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said AI could boost productivity, but warned the transition may raise unemployment and force difficult tradeoffs between inflation and jobs.
AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of ?a? for the members of Mercury Casualty Group.
Financial stocks rose in Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index increasing 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ahead 0.5%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was adding 0.3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.3%. Bitcoin was declining 0.6% to $64,321, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.04%. In corpor...
* Consumer confidence index rises 2.2 points to 91.2 in February. * Labor market differential improves but consumers still worried about jobs. * House prices gain 0.1% in December; up 1.8% year-on-year. By Lucia Mutikani.
The proposal would cut the risk factor from Fed oversight and bar supervisors from pushing banks to cut off disfavored businesses, including in crypto.
Financial stocks were advancing in Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index increasing 0.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ahead 0.5%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was adding 0.3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.3%. Bitcoin was declining 0.6% to $64,321, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly higher at 4.04%....
The Federal Reserve must avoid easing its monetary policy further as inflation remains a key concern among businesses and consumers, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said Tuesday. Given the US economy's "solid" growth in 2025 and a largely steady labor market, Goolsbee said the focus for near-term Fed policy decisions should shift back to inflation that remains well above the 2% target.
U.S. ?tariffs and uncertainty have ?weighed ?on global economic ?growth, ?but ?many parts of ?the economy ?have proved more resilient ?than ?expected, ?Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin ?Schlegel said ?on Tuesday. Speaking at an ?event ?in Zurich, ?Schlegel ?also noted that inflationary pressures in Switzerland had barely ?changed.
US consumer confidence improved this month as labor market concerns eased somewhat, while inflation expectations remained elevated, the Conference Board said Tuesday. The consumer confidence index rose by 2.2 points to 91.2 in February from last month's upwardly revised 89.
* Trump could lay out future trade policy in remarks later. * Investors want to go long Treasuries, rates trader says. * US 2/10 yield curve flattens for 10th straight session. * US rate futures still price in two cuts in 2026. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss.
Plano is the first of six Dallas Area Rapid Transit member cities to cancel a May 2 election to drop out of the agency, while others could follow suit.
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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