A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Stella Qiu. A small pullback in oil prices was apparently all it took to get markets back in the risk-on party mood. It is a brave trade that will be tested when the Federal Reserve delivers its policy decision and, just as importantly, its updated "dot plot" projections.
The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday and projected higher inflation, steady unemployment and a single reduction in borrowing costs this year, a path that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said was subject to unusually high uncertainty as policymakers take stock of the impact of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
* US central bank maintains policy rate in 3.50%-3.75% range. * Policymakers project higher inflation, still see one rate cut in 2026. * War with Iran adds to uncertainty of Fed's outlook. * Oil prices rise, traders see no Fed rate cut until April 2027. By Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir.
Indian government bonds were trading slightly higher in early deals on Wednesday, as oil prices stabilised, while traders awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision later in the day. The benchmark 6.48% 2035 bond yield was at 6.7022%, as of 10:15 a.m. IST, after ending the previous session at 6.7143%. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
By Rocky Swift and Satoshi Sugiyama. The dollar took a breather on Wednesday as easing crude oil prices sparked a glimmer of risk appetite in the markets ahead of a slate of key central bank decisions. The yen remained shaky near levels that triggered concerns about Tokyo intervening in the markets ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump.
Japanese government bond yields dropped on Wednesday after concerns over inflation receded following a pause in oil price rally, although the decline was limited as investors awaited the Bank of Japan's upcoming policy decision.
Indian government bonds are expected to be little changed in early deals on Wednesday, as traders remain focused on oil prices while also awaiting the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision later in the day.
Global stocks fell on Wednesday, extending declines after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, while a rise in crude prices and an earlier reading on U.S. inflation kept equities under pressure.
Aluminium fell on Wednesday as supply fears cooled with Emirates Global Aluminium finding alternative ways to export after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. The most-active aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange pulled back 1.02% to 24,790 yuan a metric ton as of 0202 GMT.
* Brent crude futures fall 1% to $102.28 a barrel. * Japan's Nikkei up 2%, Wall St futures edge up. * Fed dot plot may suggest if 1 cut this year remains. By Stella Qiu.
The U.S. dollar strengthened against other major currencies on Wednesday, on track to claw back losses from the past two sessions after the U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged. The Fed projected higher inflation as well as?one interest rate cut for the year as officials weighed the economic impact of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran.
The dollar held losses on Wednesday as a glimmer of risk appetite came back to markets ahead of a slate of key central bank decisions. The yen rallied from levels that conjured concerns of intervention in markets by Tokyo ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's meeting in Washington with President Donald Trump.
Bunge Global SA today announced that Bunge Limited Finance Corp., its wholly owned finance subsidiary, has successfully priced a public offering of $1.2 billion aggregate principal amount, comprised of two tranches of senior unsecured notes, as follows: The Senior Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Bunge Global SA on a senior unsecured basis.
Rimini Street, Inc. (RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support, managed services and Agentic AI ERP innovation solutions, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced the following upcoming ROTH Capital Partners Investor Conference, March 23 and 24, 2026, in Laguna Niguel, California: This press release features multimedia.
S&P: * S&P: IRAQ RATINGS PLACED ON CREDITWATCH NEGATIVE DUE TO REGIONAL CONFLICT-RELATED CUTS IN OIL PRODUCTION. * S&P: CREDITWATCH NEGATIVE REFLECTS RISK OF DOWNGRADE FOR IRAQ DUE TO SHARP FALL IN OIL PRODUCTION TIED TO INCREASED ESCALATION OF MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT. * S&P: PROLONGED DISRUPTION TO IRAQ'S OIL PRODUCTION WILL PRESSURE THE COUNTRY'S FISCAL AND EXTERNAL POSITION OVER 2026.
The United Arab Emirates central bank on Tuesday approved a package aimed at reinforcing the stability of the country's banking sector, as Gulf economies take action to withstand the Iran crisis.
* Fed, ECB, BOJ, BOE to weigh in on economic outlook this week. * Oil prices rise amid Iran-UAE tensions. * Fed expected to hold rates steady amid current oil shock. By Chuck Mikolajczak. Global stocks advanced on Tuesday for a second straight session, even as the war in Iran kept driving up oil prices and ahead of a flurry of policy announcements from global central banks this week.
* Energy, tech stock lead broader gains. * Energy sector on track for fifth session higher. * TSX up 0.16% By Rashika Singh and Nivedita Balu. Canada's benchmark index rose on Tuesday supported by gains in technology and energy stocks, as investors awaited key central bank decisions for clues on the monetary policy outlook in Canada and the U.S. and tensions in the Middle East raged on.
The Toronto Stock Exchange closed higher for a second-straight day Tuesday, but closed well off session highs as Governing Council Members at the Bank of Canada are expected to leave interest rates on hold tomorrow as they wait to see how the Middle East war ends, and what economic implications it will have.
* Fed expected to keep rates unchanged. * Financials rebound from prior losses. * Delta and American raise revenue guidance. * S&P 500 +0.25%, Nasdaq +0.47%, Dow +0.10% By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian.
* FOMC statement ahead; market keen to hear remarks on Iran impact. * US rate futures price in one cut in 2026. * US 2/10 yield curve flattens for 2nd straight day. * US 20-year bond auction shows solid outcome. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss.
The United Arab Emirates central bank said on Tuesday it had approved a comprehensive financial institution resilience package aimed at reinforcing the stability of the country's banking sector. The central bank said the overall stock of liquidity held by UAE banks at the regulator, combined with their net eligible assets for central bank operations, had reached close to $250 billion.
Latin American stocks and
currencies climbed on Tuesday, as markets awaited interest-rate
decisions in Brazil and the U.S., while continuing to track the
evolving situation in the Middle East.
"A lot of the perception is the Iran situation and energy and everything else is temporary, so if municipal yields are higher, let's take advantage of it," said Pat Luby, head of municipal strategy at CreditSights.
* Fed expected to keep rates unchanged. * Financials rebound from prior losses. * Delta and American raise revenue guidance. By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian. Wall Street ended higher on Tuesday, with gains in Delta Air Lines (DAL) and other travel stocks, while the Federal Reserve began its two-day policy meeting amid investors' worries about high oil prices and the Middle East conflict.
Financial stocks were higher in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF adding 0.8%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was up 0.7%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.6%. Bitcoin was gaining 0.7% to $74,685, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries decreased 1.8 basis points to 4.20%. In ...
Bitcoin moved swiftly above $74,000 on Tuesday, buoyed by strong institutional demand and improving sentiment. Notable Statistics: Notable Developments: Trader Notes: CryptosBatman warns that both macro and technical factors are aligning bearishly for Bitcoin.
* Markets await central bank indications on the rate outlook. * Euro rises against the dollar. * Australian dollar rises after central bank rate hike. * Dollar index falls for second straight session. By Chibuike Oguh.
Financial stocks were advancing in late Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index up 0.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF adding 0.8%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was increasing 0.7%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.6%. Bitcoin was shedding 0.1% to $74,806, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries decreased 1.8 basis points t...
* Fed, ECB, BOJ, BOE to weigh in on economic outlook this week. * Oil prices rise amid Iran-UAE tensions. * Fed expected to hold rates steady amid current oil shock. By Chuck Mikolajczak. Global stocks rose on Tuesday for a second straight session, even as the war in Iran continued to drive up oil prices and ahead of a flurry of policy announcements from global central banks this week.
* Fed expected to keep rates unchanged. * Financials rebound from prior losses. * Delta and American raise revenue guidance. * S&P 500 +0.43%, Nasdaq +0.58%, Dow +0.29% By Noel Randewich and Johann M Cherian.
Financial stocks were advancing in Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF each adding 0.8%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was increasing 0.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.7%. Bitcoin was shedding 0.5% to $74,465, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 2.2 basis points to n...
Permian Resources (PR) on Tuesday received a credit rating upgrade from S&P Global Ratings, which raised its issuer credit rating from BB+ to BBB- and its unsecured debt rating from BB+ to BBB-. The credit rating firm said the stable outlook reflects expectations that Permian Resources (PR) will keep improving by reducing debt, maintaining conservative financial policies, and growing production in line w...
Financial stocks were advancing in Tuesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF each adding 08%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was increasing 0.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.7%. Bitcoin was shedding 0.5% to $74,465, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 2.2 basis points to ne...
Otero County commissioners approved an agreement with the federal immigration agency to avert a bond default despite a state law banning such contracts.
* FTSE 100 up 0.83%, FTSE 250 up 0.72% * FTSE mid-cap index snaps four-session losing run. * J.P. Morgan predicts BoE rate pause through 2026. * Close Brothers to cut 600 roles by fiscal 2027.
Permian Resources Corporation (PR) today announced that it is now rated investment grade by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, following today's upgrade from S&P and the Company's initial investment grade rating from Fitch in July 2025. On March 17, 2026, S&P upgraded Permian Resources? corporate and issuer credit ratings to BBB- from BB+ with a stable outlook.
Canadian CPI data released Monday showed a -0.6% year over year drop in the February air transportation component, continuing the trend of 20 consecutive months of y/y declines, notes Stifel Canada. Monthly fuel prices were also flat in February, but have experienced a parabolic spike entering March with the war in Iran.
* Iran rejects de-escalation offers. * Israel's Katz says Iran's security chief killed. * Oil prices jump more than 1% By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices held nearly steady on Tuesday, as market participants monitored the intensifying Iran conflict and awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's upcoming policy decision. Spot gold was little changed at $5,003.11 per ounce by 12:25 p.m. ET.
Acting Director Sam Waldon "will be a steady hand for the division during this period, including for municipal securities-related enforcement activity," said Kathleen Marcus, a partner at Stradling.
The Federal Reserve's so-called "dot plot" may signal no interest rate cut this year amid inflationary pressures that are likely to intensify due to the ongoing Iran war, Macquarie Group said in a note e-mailed Tuesday. The Federal Open Market Committee kicked off its two-day policy meeting today, with interest rates widely expected to be left unchanged for a second consecutive meeting.
* Indexes up: Dow 0.15%, S&P 500 0.22%, Nasdaq 0.24% * Fed expected to keep rates unchanged amid energy cost concerns. * Financials gain 0.8%, rebounding from prior losses. * Oil price-sensitive airlines see stock gains as Delta and American raise revenue guidance. By Johann M Cherian and Utkarsh Hathi.
The Bank of Canada has largely sidestepped any detailed discussion of residential real estate, characterizing the housing market as simply subdued and uneven across regions, said Desjardins. But the data in several of Canada's largest cities are clearly deteriorating, and higher oil prices risk compounding those pressures, noted the bank.
* FOMC statement ahead; market keen to hear remarks on Iran impact. * US rate futures price in one cut in 2026. * US 2/10 yield curve flattens for 2nd straight day. * US Treasury to auction $13 billion in 20-year bonds. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss.
Morocco's central bank Tuesday said its board decided to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 2.25%. BKAM wrote in its policy statement that it made that decision "Considering the continued strong momentum in economic activity; the projected moderate levels of inflation; and the significant uncertainty surrounding the global outlook." MT Newswires does not provide investment advice.
* Markets await central bank indications on the rate outlook. * Euro rises against the dollar. * Australian dollar rises after central bank rate hike. * Dollar index falls for second straight session. By Chibuike Oguh.
* Miners, tech stock lead broader gains. * Energy sector on track for fifth session higher. * TSX up 0.8% By Rashika Singh. Canada's benchmark index rose on Tuesday with technology stocks and miners leading gains, while investors awaited key central bank decisions this week for clues on the monetary policy outlook in Canada and the U.S. as tensions in the Middle East raged on.
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of B, a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bb? and a Philippines National Scale Rating of a.PH to Stronghold Insurance Company, Inc.. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings is stable.
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.
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