World stocks, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose to new highs on Tuesday, driven again by an unyielding optimism around artificial intelligence that lifted U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology into the $1 trillion club and offset uncertainty around a U.S.-Iran peace deal. In my column today, I look at how the steep selloff in U.S. Treasuries has made some corporate bonds more appealing than sovereign debt.
World stocks, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose to new highs on Tuesday, driven again by an unyielding optimism around artificial intelligence that lifted U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology into the $1 trillion club and offset uncertainty around a U.S.-Iran peace deal. In my column today, I look at how the steep selloff in U.S. Treasuries has made some corporate bonds more appealing than sovereign debt.
The Trump administration's top trade official said on Tuesday that the U.S. plans tariffs on its North American free trade partners and has significant trade issues with Canada. "We're going to have tariffs as long as we have a giant trade deficit," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said at a forum.
* Chip prices surge, putting Nasdaq out front. * Brent crude rises, WTI falls as US strikes on Iran dampen peace hopes. * ECB's Isabel Schnabel signals need for rate hike in June regardless of peace progress. * US Treasury yields fall as inflation worries ebb. By Stephen Culp.
Viridian Therapeutics (VRDN) said on Tuesday it has signed a manufacturing agreement with WuXi
Biologics (WXIBF) to support commercial supply of its experimental drug if approved. * WuXi
Biologics (WXIBF) will make and supply both the drug substance and final product for veligrotug, Viridian's treatment for thyroid eye disease, a condition that causes eye swelling and vision problems.
Yields on U.S. government bonds held to lower levelson Tuesday, as hopes for a breakthrough deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz had investors relaxing a bit about the inflation outlook at the start of a holiday-shortened week featuring major U.S. economic data releases.
* Dollar rises against euro and Swiss franc. * Iran says U.S. has violated ceasefire after fresh U.S. attacks. * Prospect of Strait of Hormuz reopening had lifted risk appetite. * Safe-haven dollar finds favour as investors turn more cautious. By Chibuike Oguh.
* U.S. strikes in Iran spark renewed Middle East. * Strait of Hormuz shipping remains restricted, some tankers pass amid ongoing risks. * U.S. consumer confidence dips as inflation fears rise due to Iran conflict. * U.S. futures fall, catching up to Brent's Monday selloff. By Scott DiSavino.
* Consumer confidence index decreases 0.7 points to 93.1 in May. * Share of consumers viewing jobs as not plentiful at highest level since 2021. * Consumers' write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to skew towards pessimism. By Lucia Mutikani.
* Canadian dollar falls 0.1% against the greenback. * Trades in a range of 1.3800 to 1.3821 per U.S. dollar. * Price of oil declines 2.6% * Bond yields rise across the curve. By Fergal Smith. The Canadian dollar edged lower against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as investors weighed comments by a senior Bank of Canada policymaker and looked ahead to quarterly GDP data at the end of the week.
* Brent crude oil rose more than 4% * US Personal Consumption Expenditures data due on Thursday. * UBS lowers year-end gold price target. By Anjana Anil. Gold fell more than 1% on Tuesday, pressured by bets of higher U.S. interest rates this yearas renewed U.S. military strikes on Iran dampened hopes for a peace deal, pushed up oil prices and revived inflation concerns.
* Iran says U.S. has violated ceasefire after fresh U.S. attacks. * Dollar rises against Euro and Swiss franc. * Prospect of Strait of Hormuz reopening had lifted risk appetite. * Safe-haven dollar finds favour as investors turn more cautious. By Chibuike Oguh.
* Chip prices surge, putting Nasdaq outfront. * Brent crude rises, WTI falls as U.S. strikes in Iran dampen peace hopes. * ECB's Isabel Schnabel signals need for rate hike in June regardless of peace progress. * U.S. Treasury yields rise as inflation worries ebb. By Stephen Culp.
U.S. consumer confidence eased in May as worries about inflation linked to the war in Iran intensified and households' views of the labor market were largely pessimistic, though they anticipated an improvement by the end of this year.
U.S. consumer confidence eased in May as worries about inflation linked to the war with Iran intensified, offsetting an improvement in households' perceptions of the labor market, a survey showed on Tuesday. "Consumer confidence edged downward in May as the inflationary impacts of the war in the Middle East intensified," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at the Conference Board.
Yields on U.S. government bonds fell Tuesday, as hopes for a breakthrough deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz had investors relaxing a bit about the inflation outlook, ahead of a busy day of debt auctions headlined by a two-year sale. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday had signaled negotiations to end the conflict with Iran were proceeding "nicely."
* Brent crude oil rose more than 3% * US Personal Consumption Expenditures data due on Thursday. * UBS lowers year-end gold price target. By Anjana Anil. Gold fell more than 1% on Tuesday on bets of higher U.S. interest rates this year, with U.S. military strikes on Iran dialing back hopes of a peace deal, elevating oil prices, and bringing inflation concerns to the forefront.
U.S. single-family house prices edged up in March, but further increases are unlikely as the war with Iran pushes mortgage rates higher, dampening housing demand. House prices gained 0.1% after a downwardly revised 0.1% dip in February, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said on Tuesday. They increased 1.7% in the 12 months through March, after rising by the same margin in February.
The Bank of Canada on Tuesday said structural changes in the labor market were making its job more complicated adding that if it reacted wrongly, inflationary pressures could rise. Deputy governor Nicolas Vincent said that while the central bank could handle the impact of cyclical forces through changes in interest rates, deeper challenges were harder to control.
U.S. single-family house prices edged up in March, but further increases are unlikely as the war with Iran pushes mortgage rates higher, dampening housing demand. House prices gained 0.1% after a downwardly revised 0.1% dip in February, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said on Tuesday. They increased 1.7% in the 12 months through March, after rising by the same margin in February.
By Jamie McGeever. The list of reasons not to own U.S. Treasuries is lengthening. This isn't a new phenomenon, but it is attracting renewed attention as sentiment towards Treasuries sours in the face of rising inflation, deteriorating public finances, and growing doubts that policymakers have the heart to tackle either.
The persistence of energy price shocks will be a key factor guiding the European Central Bank's next policy decision, Dutch central bank chief Olaf Sleijpen said on Tuesday. Sleijpen reiterated that the ECB's objective at its next rate-setting meeting in two weeks remains price stability and that any decision will depend on how inflation dynamics evolve.
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Brazil's current account deficit reached $1.765 billion in April, central bank data showed on Tuesday, larger than the $200 million shortfall expected by economists in a Reuters poll. Foreign direct investment for the month landed at $8.912 billion, beating the $5.4 billion projected in the poll.
Wall Street banks are pushing the Federal Reserve behind the scenes to cement its new supervisory regime so the changes cannot easily be reversed by potential future Democratic administrations, said four people with knowledge of the matter.
Canada's Manulife
Financial Corp (MFC) has raised S$500 million through a 10-year subordinated Tier-2 bond with a non-call period of five years at a launch yield of 2.88%, an updated term sheet showed on Tuesday. Here are some details: * The final price guidance for the offering was set at 2.88%, tightening from initial price guidance of about 3.20%, according to the term sheet.
* Brent crude oil rises after US military strikes Iran. * Rubio says Iran deal could take days. * UBS lowers year-end gold price target by $400 to $5,500. By Noel John. Gold fell on Tuesday, weighed down by fears of elevated inflation after renewed U.S.-Iran tensions pushed up Brent prices and clouded the U.S. interest rate outlook. Spot gold was down 1.1% at $4,521.80 per ounce, as of 0737 GMT.
Hungary's forint eased on
Tuesday ahead of a meeting of the National Bank of Hungary later
in the day where analysts expect the base rate to be kept on
hold amid a rise in energy prices and ...
Copper prices edged lower on Tuesday, pressured by higher oil prices after the latest U.S. strikes on Iran dampened hopes of a resolution to the Middle East conflict, driving concerns over the global economic outlook. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.2% at $13,637.50 a metric ton by 0746 GMT.
U.S. government bonds rallied along the curve on Tuesday, as hopes for a breakthrough deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz had investors relaxing a bit about the inflation outlook, ahead of a busy day of debt auctions headlined by a two-year sale.
* Seeing signs of energy inflation spillovers. * Economic growth may turn out weaker than projected. * Bond yield volatility not concerning. * Markets see almost three rate hikes over the next year. By Balazs Koranyi and Reinhard Becker.
Australian stock exchange operator ASX Ltd (ASXFF) on Tuesday warned of a sharp rise in 2027 spending for technology upgrades and new product developments, sending its shares plunging more than 13% in their worst day in more than two decades and a half.
London copper held steady on Tuesday,
as support from a weaker dollar was offset by higher oil prices
after the latest U.S. strikes on Iran dampened hopes of a swift
resolution to the Middle East ...
Canadian insurer Manulife
Financial Corp (MFC) has launched a 10-year Singapore dollar-denominated subordinated Tier-2 bond with a non-call period of five years, according to a term sheet on Tuesday. Here are a few details: * The initial price guidance for the offering was set at about 3.20%, according to the term sheet.
Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye named a seasoned economist as prime minister on Monday, three days after dismissing the old government led by a firebrand populist who had spoken out against debt restructuring. The new prime minister, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, formerly served as head of the Senegal branch of the Central Bank of West African States.
The Russian central bank said on Monday it had filed a second claim with the General Court of the European Union, challenging the EU regulation that allows the use of Russia's frozen sovereign assets to repay the EU's loan to Ukraine.
Mozambique's central bank left its main interest rate unchanged at 9.25% on Monday. Governor Rogerio Zandamela told a press conference that the decision reflected high levels of uncertainty over the length of the Iran war and its impact on supply chains and prices of fuel and food.
The Bank of Israel lowered short-term interest rates for the third time in six months on Monday as inflation remained contained despite a war with Iran, while the shekel stands at a three-decade high against the dollar.
Euro zone government bond yields fell to their lowest levels in about a month on Monday as renewed hopes of a U.S.-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz eased concerns over inflation and reduced expectations of aggressive central bank policy tightening. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iran war seemingly continued after Iran and the United States played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
* Oil prices fall below $100 a barrel. * Dollar eases as investors move out of the safe-haven currency. * US markets closed for Memorial Day holiday. By Noel John. Gold rose more than 1% on Monday as hopes of a peace deal to end the Iran war sent the dollar and oil prices lower, easing fears of inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates.
By Howard Schneider and Jacob Bogage. Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was a handy foil for President Donald Trump, a target of blame for everything from high mortgage interest rates to the pace of economic growth.
By Howard Schneider and Jacob Bogage. Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was a handy foil for President Donald Trump, a target of blame for everything from high mortgage interest rates to the pace of economic growth.
Euro zone government bond yields fell on Monday as renewed hopes of a U.S.-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz eased concerns over inflation and reduced expectations of aggressive central bank policy tightening. Borrowing costs tracked moves in oil prices, which slid 5% amid optimism over a resolution of the conflict, even as key sticking points remained unresolved.
Euro zone government bond yields fell on Monday as renewed hopes of a U.S.-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz eased concerns over inflation and reduced expectations of aggressive central bank rate rises.
* U.S. blockade on Hormuz to stay until agreement with Iran: Trump. * Oil prices fall to two-week low. * Kevin Warsh sworn in as U.S. Fed Chair. By Pablo Sinha. Gold prices rose more than 1% on Monday, as optimism for a breakthrough in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations weakened the dollar and eased oil prices, which softened the inflation outlook.
* U.S. blockade on Hormuz to stay until agreement with Iran: Trump. * Oil prices fall to two-week low. * Kevin Warsh sworn in as U.S. Fed Chair. By Pablo Sinha. Gold prices rose more than 1% on Monday, supported by a weaker dollar and easing oil prices, as investors weighed prospects of a breakthrough in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. Spot gold was up 1.1% at $4,559.29 per ounce, as of 0359 GMT.
Gold prices rose more than 1% on Monday, supported by a weaker dollar and lower oil prices, as investors weighed prospects of a breakthrough in U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. FUNDAMENTALS. * Spot gold rose 1.4% to $4,570.88 per ounce by 0045 GMT. * The dollar fell, making greenback-priced bullion more affordable for holders of other currencies.
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.