Gold rose more than 2% on Wednesday, buoyed by a softer dollar, while a drop in oil prices eased concerns about elevated inflation and higher global interest rates, amid reports of a U.S. plan to end ...
* Goolsbee cites energy prices as inflation risk. * Fed held rates steady, but future cuts uncertain. * Oil prices surge due to Iran conflict, impacting inflation.
The U.S. Federal Reserve may need to keep interest rates steady "for some time" before further cuts are warranted, Fed Governor Michael Barr said on Tuesday, noting continued inflation above the Fed's 2% target and the risks posed by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The job market "appears to be stabilizing," Barr said in remarks prepared for delivery to a community development conference.
The U.S. Federal Reserve may need to keep interest rates steady "for some time" before further cuts are warranted, Fed Governor Michael Barr said on Tuesday, noting continued inflation above the Fed's 2% target and the risks posed by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The job market "appears to be stabilizing," Barr said in remarks prepared for delivery to a community development conference.
* Oil prices surge amid Strait of Hormuz shipment disruptions. * U.S. Treasury yields increase, dollar strengthens. * Euro zone growth stalls due to inflation and war impact. By Caroline Valetkevitch and Amanda Cooper.
Chile's central bank on Tuesday held its benchmark interest rate at 4.5% in a unanimous decision, in line with expectations, as inflation remains within the bank's target range but the war in the Middle East raises oil prices and inflation expectations.
Chile's central bank on Tuesday held its benchmark interest rate at 4.5% in a unanimous decision, in line with expectations, as inflation remains within the bank's target range but the war in the Middle East raises oil prices and inflation expectations.
* BANK OF CANADA SAYS IT IS EXPERIENCING AN INTERNAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS ISSUE; CALL FOR TENDERS FOR WEDNESDAY AUCTION OF RECEIVER GENERAL BALANCES HAS BEEN DELAYED. * BANK OF CANADA SAYS OTHER MARKET OPERATIONS MAY BE AFFECTED. * BOC: WHILE THE ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND RECOVERY IS UNDERWAY, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN IT WILL BE COMPLETELY RESOLVED.
* Investors watch oil prices, interest rates, Iran headlines. * Jefferies gains on report Japan's SMFG plans possible takeover. * Barclays raises year-end target for S&P 500 to 7,650 from 7,400. * Ares Management (ARES), Apollo Global limit redemptions at funds. By Sin?ad Carew and Purvi Agarwal.
* Pakistan offers to host peace talks to end war on Iran. * Spot gold down over 21% from record peak hit in January. * Platinum edges 1% higher. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices extended their decline on Tuesday, weighed down by persistent Middle East tensions that fanned worries of inflation and expectations of higher interest rates globally.
* Two-year yield spikes on soft auction, last at 3.944% * Yields higher as Iran war persists. * 10-year yield last up to 4.419% By Matt Tracy. U.S. Treasury yields rose on Tuesday after an auction of two-year notes met underwhelming demand, as market uncertainty persists around the Iran war and elevated oil prices.
Schweizerische Nationalbank : * SNB CHAIRMAN: POLICY INTEREST RATE IS MAIN TOOL, BUT THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE FOREX INTERVENTIONS ARE MORE SUITABLE. * SNB CHAIRMAN: NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES WORKED IN THE PAST, BUT THEY HAD NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS. * SNB CHAIRMAN: WE ARE PREPARED TO INTRODUCE NEGATIVE RATES, BUT THE HURDLE TO LOWER RATES INTO NEGATIVE AREA IS HIGHER.
Brazil's central bank said it is going to offer up to $1 billion in a dollar auction with repurchase agreement later on Tuesday. In a statement, the central bank said the auction will start at 2 p.m. local time.
* Oil prices surge amid Strait of Hormuz shipment disruptions. * U.S. Treasury yields increase, dollar strengthens. * Euro zone growth stalls due to inflation and war impact. By Caroline Valetkevitch. Major global stock indexes were mixed on Tuesday as oil prices extended recent sharp gains and worries persisted over how long the Israeli-U.S. war on Iran will go on.
The Iran war is already taking a toll on major economies around the world, according to business surveys on Tuesday which showed how a surge in energy prices and rising uncertainty were dampening activity and pushing inflation expectations higher.
* US, euro zone, UK and Japan PMIs all suffer. * Inflation expectations rise, activity dampened. * Some talk of stagflation, but too early to judge. By Balazs Koranyi and Lucia Mutikani.
* Yields higher as Iran war persists. * 10-year yield last up to 4.403% * Treasury to auction $69 billion in two-year notes. By Matt Tracy. U.S. Treasury yields inched higher on Tuesday morning as optimism over a quick easing of the Middle East crisis faded, renewing concerns about inflation risks.
The Bank of France has booked one-off capital gains of nearly 13 billion euros from an upgrade of its gold reserves since last July as it benefited from high gold prices, the central bank said on Tuesday. Over the past two decades, the bank has been gradually replacing older or non-standard gold holdings with bars that meet modern international standards.
* S&P Global survey shows decline in private-sector employment. * Flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index falls to 51.4. * Oil prices surge over 30% due to U.S.-Iran conflict. By Lucia Mutikani.
* Iran launches missiles into Israel. * Spot gold down 22% from record peak hit in January. * Palladium down nearly 3% By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices extended their decline on Tuesday, weighed down by persistent Middle East tensions that fanned worries of inflation and expectations of higher interest rates globally.
The Iran war, now in its fourth week, is creating a major crisis in energy supplies that is impacting every corner of the global economy. Here are some economies to watch. THE G7. Look first to Europe. Inflation is set to jump again and traders are betting the European Central Bank and the Bank of England may have to raise interest rates this year.
Mexico's annual inflation rate accelerated in the first half of March to levels not seen since late 2024, official data showed on Tuesday, backing expectations that the central bank will keep its interest rate unchanged at its meeting this week. Consumer prices also rose 0.62% during the first half of March from the same period of February, exceeding the forecast of a 0.37% increase.
* G7 economies face energy shock, inflation risks. * Emerging economies hit by oil price surge, remittance issues. * Gulf region impacted directly, may see economic contraction this year. By Yoruk Bahceli and Marc Jones. The Iran war, now in its fourth week, is creating a major crisis in energy supplies that is impacting every corner of the global economy. Here are some economies to watch. THE G7.
The Iran war, now in its fourth week, is creating a major crisis in energy supplies that is impacting every corner of the global economy. Here are some economies to watch. THE G7. Look first to Europe. Inflation is set to jump again and traders are betting the European Central Bank and the Bank of England may have to raise interest rates this year.
Brazil's central bank said on Tuesday that the magnitude and duration of its interest rate calibration will be determined over time, as new data feed into its assessments, after it delivered a 25-basis-point cut to 14.75% last week.
* Preliminary composite PMI 51.0 vs 53.7 in February. * PMI comes in below all forecasts in Reuters poll. * Manufacturers' input costs leap by most since 1992. * First survey to show extent of impact from war. * Reeves to speak to parliament later on Tuesday. By David Milliken and William Schomberg.
* PMI tumbles to 10-month low on fallout from war. * Price, delivery times take huge hits. * Germany holds up better than France. * Consumer confidence also hit. By Jonathan Cable and Balazs Koranyi.
Euro zone private sector growth nearly stalled this month as inflation expectations surged and delivery times soared, adding to mounting evidence that the bloc is already suffering a tangible drag from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
Euro zone private sector growth slowed sharply in March as the Middle East war drove input costs to their highest in more than three years and triggered the worst supply chain disruptions since mid-2022, a survey showed on Tuesday.
Germany's private sector growth slowed to its weakest pace in three months in March as services lost momentum and costs surged amid the conflict in the Middle East. The Flash Germany Composite PMI, a preliminary estimate, fell to 51.9 in March from 53.2 in February, a survey by S&P Global showed. The 50 mark separates growth from contraction.
Goldman Sachs (GS) has pared its growth estimate for India for 2026, while forecasting a 50 basis points hike in policy rates as the South Asian economy contends with sharp depreciation in its currency. Goldman forecasts the Indian economy will grow by 5.9% in calendar year 2026 compared to its pre-Iran war forecast of 7%, it said in a report on Tuesday.
* Iran denies talks with US. * Trump postpones strikes on Iranian power grid. * Oil remains above $100 a barrel. * Silver, platinum and palladium down over 2% By Noel John. Gold prices fell more than 1% on Tuesday, extending their slide to a tenth straight session, pressured by a firm U.S. dollar and fading hopes for near-term Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
* China's stability message contrasts with U.S. policy volatility. * U.S. corporate leaders attend, Japanese executives absent amid diplomatic tensions. * China's five-year plan central to forum discussions. * China's trade surplus hits record $1.2 trillion in 2025 amid global tensions. By Casey Hall and Joe Cash.
Japan's core consumer inflation slowed below the central bank's 2% target in February for the first time in nearly four years, data showed, as government fuel subsidies offset rising import costs from a weak yen and surging oil prices from the Iran war.
* February core CPI rises 1.6% yr/yr vs forecast +1.7% * BOJ's preferred index excluding fresh food, fuel up 2.5% yr/yr. * Subsidies offset rising import costs for fuel, raw material. * BOJ to disclose new indicator to better gauge price trend. By Leika Kihara.
* RBNZ may raise rates if inflation becomes entrenched, says governor Breman. * Markets expect a 60% chance of rate hike by May. * Economists say RBNZ unlikely to raise rates in next 6 months. By Lucy Craymer and Wayne Cole.
Activity in Japan's manufacturing sector slowed in March, as orders and output cooled in an early sign of the Middle East conflict's impact on Japanese businesses, a survey showed on Tuesday. * The S&P Global flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 51.4 in March from a near four-year high of 53.0 in February.
S&P Global Ratings upgraded Bolivia's long-term sovereign credit rating to "CCC+" from "CCC-" on Monday, citing lower debt-service obligations. The ratings agency also raised its outlook on the country to stable from negative.
San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly on Monday said that unless the Iran conflict resolves quickly and the Fed can simply "look through" a temporary increase in oil prices, it is not clear what the Fed's next move on interest rates will need to be.
* Global economic growth slows due to rising oil prices, warns ADNOC CEO. * Oil execs warn of long-term economic impact from Iran conflict. * US Energy Secretary downplays crisis, cites strategic measures. * Strait of Hormuz closure causes global energy supply disruptions. By Sheila Dang and Stephanie Kelly.
* Markets relieved after Trump delays strikes, but caution remains. * Bund yields drop from their highest in almost 15 years. * BofA economist says markets underprice adverse economic impact of the energy shock. By Stefano Rebaudo and Sophie Kiderlin.
* Consumer confidence falls to lowest level since late 2023. * Investors think ECB will be forced to raise interest rates. * Economist predicts GDP will stagnate over next two quarters. By Balazs Koranyi.
U.S. construction spending unexpectedly fell in January amid broad weakness in private projects, government data showed. The Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Monday that construction spending dropped 0.3% after an upwardly revised 0.8% jump in December, which was the largest increase since April 2024.
Mozambique's central bank left its main interest rate unchanged at 9.25% in a decision announced on Monday. The Bank of Mozambique said at its last rate-setting meeting in January that it was nearing the end of an easing cycle. At the time the Southern African country was reeling from severe floods, and the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has further ratcheted up risks to the economic outlook.
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said on Monday it's premature to draw conclusions about how surging oil prices will affect the U.S. economy, as he stuck to his guns and argued a softening jobs market requires more rate cuts from the central bank.
* Fed's Miran advocates for gradual interest rate cuts despite oil price surge. * Miran tells Bloomberg unclear how oil surge will hit economy. * Miran says no sign yet higher oil prices destabilizing inflation. By Michael S. Derby.
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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