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The rate on the most popular U.S. home loan rose last week to its highest in seven weeks, as concerns about inflation from higher oil prices and an uncertain outlook for the Iran war pushed benchmark U.S. Treasury yields higher. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped 10 basis points to 6.56% for the week ended May 15, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

The rate on the most popular U.S. home loan rose last week to its highest in seven weeks, as concerns about inflation from higher oil prices and an uncertain outlook for the Iran war pushed benchmark U.S. Treasury yields higher. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped 10 basis points to 6.56% for the week ended May 15, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

Fixes dateline to May 20. * Two new EX30 battery fires prompt Thai watchdog to weigh civil action. * Volvo faces complaints as customers await battery fixes after global recall. * Repair timelines vary, with some markets waiting until late-2026 for replacements. By Chayut Setboonsarng and Marie Mannes.

The depth of the differences among Federal Reserve policymakers' views on the direction of interest rates and severity of inflation will be on view on Wednesday with the release of a readout of the most divided meeting in a generation, one that also marked the end of Chair Jerome Powell's leadership tenure.

* Futures up: Dow 0.1%, S&P 500 0.3%, Nasdaq 0.6% U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday as chip stocks steadied ahead of Nvidia's (NVDA) earnings, which investors view as a crucial test of AI demand amid concerns about elevated Treasury yields.

Corporate America is tapping the convertible bond market at a record pace as companies linked to artificial intelligence drive a surge in demand for debt that often draws extra investor interest in hot markets because it can convert into equity.

Avista Corp (AVA): * Avista Corp (AVA) - ON MAY 14, ISSUED $90 MILLION OF 4.77% BONDS DUE 2029 AND $70 MILLION OF 6.10% BONDS DUE 2056 - SEC FILING. * Avista Corp (AVA) - EXPECTS TO ISSUE ADDITIONAL $70 MILLION OF 6.10% BONDS IN AUGUST 2026 - SEC FILING Source text: Further company coverage:

* AI-linked firms drive surge in convertible bond issuance. * High rates, equity volatility boost appeal of convertibles. * Hedge funds, asset managers seek upside, even from riskier issuers. By Chibuike Oguh.

* Fed policymakers split over inflation risks and future rate cuts. * April meeting saw four dissents, most since 1992, over policy direction. * Market and economist expectations shift toward no rate cuts, some see possible hikes. By Dan Burns.

* US Vice President Vance says lots of progress made in US-Iran talks. * Minutes from Fed's April policy meeting due at 1800 GMT. * US 10-year Treasury yields at an over one-year high. * Traders see 40% chance of US rate hike in December. By Noel John.

* Treasury yields steady near new highs hit overnight. * Nvidia (NVDA) results after bell; Samsung workers set to strike. * Oil prices still elevated; yen hovers around 159 per dollar. * Softer British inflation sends gilt yields lower. By Alun John and Stella Qiu.

* Investors pricing in higher rates in the face of rising inflation. * No end in sight for more than two-month-long Iran war. * US 30-year Treasury yield at 17-year high. * Yen back near 160 per dollar; traders wary of intervention. By Ankur Banerjee and Harry Robertson.

* U.S. Vice President Vance says progress made in talks with Iran. * Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields near a more-than-one-year high. * Minutes from Fed's April policy meeting due at 1800 GMT. * U.S. Fed to avoid cutting rates this year - Reuters poll. By Pablo Sinha.

Emmanuel Moulin, President Emmanuel Macron's pick to head the Bank of France and his former chief of staff, said on Wednesday in hearings ahead of a vote by Parliament on Moulin's confirmation that he was sure he would run the national central bank in an independent manner.

Although some are puzzled by the coincidence of an artificial intelligence boom and rising borrowing costs, they are closely linked.Beyond the immediate heat of the AI investment frenzy, a long-term productivity surge is lifting estimates of neutral interest rates even as workers' share of the GDP pie declines. The idea remains controversial in some circles.

* Treasury yields hit new highs overnight, steady in Asia. * Japan's Nikkei falls 1.5%, Wall St futures a tad lower. * Oil prices still elevated, yen hovers around 159 per dollar. By Stella Qiu.

* Investor pricing in higher rates in the face of rising inflation. * No end in sight for the over two-month-long Iran war. * US 30-year Treasury yield at 17-year high. * Yen back near 160 per dollar; traders wary of intervention. By Ankur Banerjee.

* U.S. Vice President Vance says progress made in talks with Iran. * Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields near a more-than-one-year high. * Minutes from Fed's April policy meeting due at 1800 GMT. * U.S. Fed to avoid cutting rates this year - Reuters poll. By Pablo Sinha.

European Union governments are discussing whether former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, or former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, could represent the bloc in potential negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Copper declined to a more-than-one-week low on Wednesday, as a stronger dollar and a rise in U.S. Treasury yields weighed on the market. The most-active copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange lost 1.20% to 103,160 yuan a ton, after touching its lowest since May 8 at 103,040 yuan.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's jab at Japan's dovish premier may help clear political hurdles for the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in June, analysts say, though there is uncertainty on whether it can support the yen.

* Bessent says BOJ can do what's needed if granted independence. * Remarks reinforce Washington's preference for higher BOJ rates. * PM Takaichi, aides wary of further BOJ rate hikes. * Key would be whether Ueda can meet PM, analysts say. By Leika Kihara.

* Treasury yields hit new highs overnight, steady in Asia. * Japan's Nikkei falls 1.6%, Wall St futures flat. * Oil prices still elevated, yen falls below 159 per dollar. By Stella Qiu.

The U.S. dollar hit a six-week high on Wednesday as investors came to terms with the possible need for higher interest rates to tackle inflation resulting from the Iran war. The uncertainty over when the conflict may end has fanned inflation fears and triggered a global bond selloff, with the yield on the U.S. 30-year Treasury bond hitting its highest level since 2007.

* Investor pricing in higher rates in the face of rising inflation. * No end in sight for the over two-month-long Iran war. * US 30-year Treasury yield at 17-year high. * Yen back near 160 per dollar; traders wary of intervention. By Ankur Banerjee.

Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday, as optimism over a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran tempered concerns around inflation and interest rates staying higher for longer.

It remains too early to estimate how the use of AI technology will influence inflation, jobs and monetary policy, Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank president Anna Paulson said on Tuesday, addressing an issue likely at the center of coming Fed deliberations.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday calling on regulators and the Federal Reserve to review rules that may be stifling financial innovation, including whether the central bank could expand fintech access to its payment rails, the systems that move money between banks.

The current level of interest rates is appropriate for the moment, putting downward pressure on inflation at a time when price pressures remain elevated, Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Anna Paulson said on Tuesday, but she added it was "healthy" that investors had begun considering scenarios where rates might need to rise.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday calling on regulators and the Federal Reserve to review rules that may be stifling financial innovation, including whether the central bank could expand fintech access to its payment rails, the systems that move money between banks.

G7 finance ministers agreed on Tuesday on the need for action to tackle trade imbalances in a fragmented global economy, saying the current situation was unsustainable with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arguing for more protections against a flood of cheap Chinese imports.

The current level of interest rates is appropriate for the moment, putting downward pressure on inflation at a time when price pressures remain elevated, Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Anna Paulson said on Tuesday, but she added it was "healthy" that investors had begun considering scenarios where rates might need to rise.

* US stocks end lower. * Dollar gains as US yields rise; gold falls. * Trump says US may strike Iran again but that Tehran wants deal. By Caroline Valetkevitch and Harry Robertson. A global stock index fell with 30-year U.S. Treasury yields rising to their highest levels since 2007 on Tuesday, and oil prices eased as investors digested the latest headlines on U.S. talks with Iran to end the war.

The United Nations on Tuesday cut its forecast for global economic growth, saying the Middle East crisis had reignited inflationary pressures and heightened uncertainty. * Global GDP growth is forecast at 2.5% in 2026, compared with an estimated 3.0% in 2025, 0.2 percentage points below the January projection and well below pre-pandemic growth rates.

* Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields near a more than one-year high. * Brent crude oil prices hold above $110 a barrel. * Minutes of Fed's April policy meeting due on Wednesday. By Anjana Anil. Gold prices fell by more than 1% on Tuesday on a firmer U.S. dollar and as persistent inflation fears kept interest rate hike expectations and Treasury yields high.

* Canadian dollar falls 0.1% against the greenback. * Touches its weakest since April 15 at 1.3773. * CPI increases at an annual rate of 2.8% in April. * Bond yields trade mixed across a steeper curve. By Fergal Smith.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday that the central bank would work closely with the government on the market situation concerning Japanese government bonds. "As for long-term interest rates, we recognise that they have been rising recently, and at a relatively fast pace," Ueda told reporters after a Group of Seven finance chiefs and central bankers' meeting in Paris.

Incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Tuesday disclosed an initial round of planned asset sales ahead of being sworn in for the job, though the disclosures did not say who the sales were made to.

Prospective Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh disclosed on Tuesday his initial round of asset divestitures ahead of being sworn in as central bank leader.

Yields on longer-dated Treasuries climbed to new highs on Tuesday amid a global market selloff in longer-dated bonds driven by war-related inflation concerns. The 30-year Treasury bond's yield, which is seen as a barometer of political risk, climbed on Tuesday to 5.197%, its highest in 19 years.