* Fed officials raised 2026 inflation outlook due to war-related oil shock. * Minutes show 'some' officials favored opening door to hikes. * Investors expect Fed to leave rates unchanged well into 2027. By Howard Schneider.
Financial stocks gained in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index rising 3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF adding 2.4%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing 4.6%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF advanced 1.5%. Bitcoin was declining 0.3% to $71,679, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was dropping 6.4 basis points to n...
"I would much rather invest in the muni, both in terms of default rates and in terms of the yield that you're getting off of those," said Travis Lower.
Wednesday's market rally is tied to President Donald Trump's announcement of the temporary ceasefire, which came about Tuesday night, an hour and a half before the president's 8 p.m. deadline, market participants said.
As Congress returns to Washington in the next few weeks thoughts will turn to a problematic reconciliation bill, a housing bill close to completion and a farm bill facing serious challenges.
Despite marking up its inflation projections and keeping topline economic growth unchanged, UBS said it continues to expect the Bank of Canada to remain on hold this year. The latest signaling from the BoC is consistent with a cautious approach to changes in the policy rate in either direction, wrote the bank in a note to clients.
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of B++ and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb? to Sociedad de Seguros Mutuos Mar?timos de Vigo, Mutualidad de Seguros y Reaseguros a Prima Fija.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb? of FAIR Oil & Energy Insurance Syndicate. The ratings reflect the Syndicate?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
* Risk assets rally after last-minute US-Iran deal, Brent nears $90 per barrel. * Traders resume bets on Federal Reserve easing interest rates. * Euro, yen, sterling up sharply on the day. By Hannah Lang and Amanda Cooper.
First Fed Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), named Jennifer Gribble as its new Chief People Officer, effective March 31, 2026. ?First Fed has always been a community builder and a business builder, and now we?re building a different type of bank,? said Curt Queyrouze, First Fed President and CEO.
The central banks of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced the establishment of a currency swap agreement with a nominal value of 2 billion Bahraini dinars and a tenor of five years, the Bahraini central bank said on Wednesday.
State-level data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Wednesday showed the unemployment rate rose in one state, Florida, in January and held steady elsewhere. The unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point in Florida. Nonfarm payrolls rose in five states, fell in Washington D.C. and were little changed elsewhere.
According to Rosenberg Research in a comment on Canada within Wednesday's 'Early Morning With Dave' note a "most curious development today" is why traders still believe the Bank of Canada will be making its next move a rate hike, "or a steady diet of rate hikes, for that matter."
Vistra (VST) said Wednesday it launched a private offering of multiple series of senior unsecured notes through its subsidiary Vistra Operations. The company said the notes will be guaranteed by certain subsidiaries that also back its existing credit agreement.
Brazil's central bank began to cut its interest rates last month to "calibrate" monetary policy, as policymakers aim to still leave it at a restrictive stance, Monetary Policy Director Nilton David said on Wednesday.
S&P: * S&P: PHILIPPINES OUTLOOK REVISED TO STABLE ON EXTERNAL ADVERSITIES; 'BBB+' RATING AFFIRMED. * S&P: STABLE OUTLOOK ON EXPECTATION THAT PHILIPPINES WILL MAINTAIN HEALTHY ECONOMIC GROWTH & FISCAL DEFICIT WILL DECLINE OVER NEXT TWO YRS S&P: EXPECT ENERGY SHOCK FOR PHILIPPINES TO BE TEMPORARY.
By Jamie McGeever. Remember global imbalances? They're back. The U.S. current account deficit - and the corresponding surpluses of China, oil producers, the euro zone, and other advanced economies - has been widening since the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing a decade of steady decline after the global financial crisis.
Webcast Scheduled for Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. ET Sallie Mae?, formally SLM Corporation (SLM), will release first-quarter 2026 financial results after market close on Thursday, April 23, 2026. A live audio webcast and presentation slides will be available at SallieMae.com/investors and the hosting website. Investors should log in at least 15 minutes prior to the broadcast.
IRVING, Texas, April 8, 2026 ?Vistra Corp (VST). announced today the launch of multiple series of senior unsecured notes in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
Since the start of the Middle East conflict, five-year Government of Canada bonds and United States Treasuries have moved largely in tandem -- selling off about 35 bps, including early Wednesday's rally, said National Bank of Canada.
The gold market's sharp March drop, down 12% to roughly $4,690 was, was the worst monthly decline since 2008. The latest study by EBC Financial Group notes that the bloc now controls more than 6,000 tons of gold, or 17.4% of global reserves. "This is not speculative demand, it is policy," EBC analyst Michael Harris noted, according to KITCO. Gold's March weakness was multi-pronged.
The US dollar fell against its major trading partners early Wednesday following a temporary ceasefire with Iran and ahead of a lighter data schedule leading into the minutes of the March 17-18 Federal Open Market Committee meeting at 2:00 pm ET.
The interest rate on the most popular U.S. home loan ticked down last week for the first time since the start of the Iran war, but not enough to rejuvenate a?housing market that's pricing out many buyers with a combination of elevated borrowing costs and expensive homes.
The interest rate on the most popular U.S. home loan ticked down last week for the first time since the start of the Iran war, but not enough to rejuvenate a housing market that's pricing out many buyers with a combination of elevated borrowing costs and expensive homes.
* Risk assets rally hard after 11th-hour US-Iran deal, Brent below $95/barrel. * Traders resume bets on Federal Reserve easing as soon as December. * Euro, yen, sterling up sharply on the day. By Amanda Cooper and Alun John.
Canadian gross treasury bill issuance is rising to $27 billion this week, or $4 billion higher, in what will be the first auction of the 2026-27 fiscal year, said National Bank of Canada. Of that, the Bank of Canada will purchase $270 million, or 1% of the tender, noted the bank.
U.S. Federal Reserve officials knew at their March meeting that the U.S.-Iran war was going to send inflation higher for the year, but minutes of the two-day session to be released Wednesday afternoon may flesh out even further the risks policymakers and central bank staff see from a conflict that President Donald Trump has cast in civilizational terms.
* MSCI stock index jumps 5%, set for biggest daily gain since November 2022. * Oil prices drop 13%; EM bonds rally on fiscal pressures potentially easing. * Caution remains over conflict and inflation risks; central banks hold rates. * Vietnam set for $6 bln inflows after securing long-awaited emerging market status. By Johann M Cherian.
* Fed officials raised 2026 inflation outlook due to oil shock from US-Iran war. * Minutes may reveal debate over risks to inflation versus growth and jobs. * Fed on hold for now, citing uncertainty over impact of conflict. By Howard Schneider.
Major global investment banks now expect China to keep official interest rates steady this year, scaling back earlier rate-cut calls, as the impact from the Middle East conflict appears limited, even as Beijing maintains a loose policy stance.
* Euro zone government bond yields fall sharply, spreads tighten. * Uncertainty persists over a lasting agreement over Iran. * Traders fully price in a rate hike in June and a second increase in September. By Stefano Rebaudo.
Euro zone government bond yields dropped sharply on Wednesday, after a deal for a two-week ceasefire in Iran triggered a steep fall in energy prices and prompted traders to dramatically scale back their bets on future rate hikes from the European Central Bank.
Paris, April 8, 2026 following rating confirmations by Moody?s and Fitch Viridien announces today that Standard & Poor?s has upgraded its long-term credit rating to ?B?, with a stable outlook, reflecting the Company?s solid operational execution.
Regulatory News: SpineGuard, an innovative company that deploys its DSG? sensing technology to secure and streamline the placement of bone implants, today announces its full-year 2025 financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025, as approved by the Board of Directors on April 07, 2026, its first quarter 2026 sales, as well as the completion of a bond financing of up to ?1 million.
Vietnam's parliament has approved career banker Pham Duc An as the new central bank governor for a five-year term and named a new finance minister, according to a list of government appointments published on Wednesday.
Low engagement costs global economy more than $10 trillion in lost productivity WASHINGTON, April 8, 2026 ?Global employee engagement fell to 20% in 2025, down from a peak of 23% in 2022, marking the first time Gallup has recorded two consecutive years of decline in global engagement.
* Risk assets rally hard after 11th-hour US-Iran climbdown, Brent below $95/barrel. * Reserve Bank of New Zealand holds official cash rate at 2.25% * Traders resume bets on Federal Reserve easing as soon as December. By Gregor Stuart Hunter.
Japan must respect central bank independence to prevent unwelcome rises in bond yields, former IMF chief economist Kenneth Rogoff told Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a meeting of the government's top economic council, minutes of the meeting released on Wednesday showed.
* RBNZ says ready to act if inflation expectations intensify. * Middle East conflict drives inflation risks, complicates policy outlook. * RBNZ forecasts inflation to exceed 4% this year. By Lucy Craymer and Wayne Cole.
Scorpio Tankers Inc. (STNG) announced today that it priced a private offering of $325 million aggregate principal amount of 1.75% convertible senior notes due 2031.
Moody's Ratings cut its outlook on a $36-billion Blue Owl non-traded fund to "negative" from "stable" on Tuesday, citing redemption requests that were significantly higher than at peers in the first quarter.
Moody's Ratings on Tuesday cut its outlook on a $36 billion Blue Owl fund to negative from stable, citing redemption requests that were "significantly higher" than peers in the first quarter.
Japan's real wages rose 1.9% in February, the most in five years and a second straight month of gains, government data showed on Wednesday, bolstering the case for the Bank of Japan to lift interest rates at its meeting this month. * The data highlights solid growth in Japan wages even before last month's spring wage negotiations resulted in hikes of above 5% for a third consecutive year.
Ratings agency Moody's said on Tuesday that it had downgraded its outlook on one of Blue Owl's funds over significantly higher-than-peer redemption requests in the first quarter. Moody's cut its outlook on Blue Owl Credit Income Corp, a $36 billion fund, to negative from 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.
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.
Log In Required
Publication Date