Spreads
Spreads
Spreads
Spreads
Spreads
Make informed decisions with the most up-to-date and reliable financial data, exclusively provided by vtmarkets.com.
On Thursday, the stock market faced a decline driven by concerns over rising Treasury yields and persistent US inflation, marking the end of a four-day winning streak for major indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.51%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.62% and 0.63%, respectively. Meanwhile, the US Dollar rallied by 0.80% as robust economic data and increased Treasury yields reinforced expectations of prolonged high interest rates. European currencies, such as the Euro and British Pound, experienced declines, while precious metals like Gold and Silver slipped due to rising Treasury yields. Geopolitical concerns, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, also contributed to market sentiment.
Stocks experienced a decline on Thursday due to concerns about rising Treasury yields and persistent U.S. inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.51% lower, dropping 173.73 points to 33,631.14, while the S&P 500 fell by 0.62%, finishing at 4,349.61, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.63%, closing at 13,574.22. This decline marked the end of a four-day winning streak for the major indexes. Treasury yields surged with the 10-year rate increasing by nearly 11 basis points to 4.70%, while the 2-year Treasury yield reached 5.06% after rising more than 6 basis points. Many investors believe that higher yields are becoming a permanent feature, which influenced the equity market’s downturn. The consumer price index released on Thursday revealed a 0.4% increase on the month and a 3.7% increase from a year ago, exceeding Dow Jones estimates of 0.3% and 3.6%, respectively.
In corporate news, Walgreens saw its shares trade 7% higher after reporting narrower losses and progress in cost-cutting plans, although it offered soft profit guidance and missed earnings expectations. Additionally, several major companies, including JPMorgan, BlackRock, and UnitedHealth Group, are scheduled to report earnings on Friday. Geopolitical concerns also played a role in market sentiment, as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict raised questions about a potential oil supply crunch and a subsequent increase in fuel prices should the instability spread to neighboring oil-producing regions.
Data by Bloomberg
On Thursday, across all sectors, the overall market saw a decline of 0.62%. The Information Technology sector performed the best with a modest gain of 0.10%, while Energy followed closely with an increase of 0.09%. On the other hand, the Utilities sector experienced the most significant drop, with a decline of 1.50%. Additionally, Real Estate, Consumer Staples, and Materials sectors also saw notable decreases, declining by 1.31%, 1.15%, and 1.52%, respectively. The Financials, Health Care, Industrials, Consumer Discretionary, and Communication Services sectors all recorded losses ranging from 0.63% to 1.11%.
The US Dollar exhibited a significant rally, recovering from previous losses but still below recent cycle peaks. The US Dollar index surged by 0.80% to reach 106.55, primarily propelled by robust US economic data and increased Treasury yields. In September, the US annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) exceeded expectations, registering at 3.7%, surpassing the market consensus of 3.6%. The Producer Price Index (PPI) also outperformed expectations, and Initial Jobless Claims remained slightly below the consensus, at 209,000. This series of strong US economic data and the persistence of inflation above target levels reinforced expectations of prolonged high interest rates. Analysts noted that the Federal Reserve is likely to remain patient as it assesses the overall data, with the focus on the upcoming November FOMC meeting. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields experienced an increase, with the 10-year yield rising from 4.57% to 4.73%, and the 2-year yield from 4.98% to 5.07%.
In the currency markets, the Euro (EUR/USD) saw a significant decline to 1.0525 from around 1.0630 due to the strengthening US Dollar, driven by the robust economic data. Europe is awaiting the release of Industrial Production data for August and an appearance by European Central Bank (ECB) President Lagarde at the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting. The British Pound (GBP/USD) ended its six-day positive streak, recording a 140-pip drop below 1.2200 amid negative risk sentiment. The New Zealand Dollar (NZD/USD) declined for the second consecutive day, falling below 0.6000 and the 20-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) to reach 0.5925. New Zealand is poised to release Electronic Card Retail Sales data and the Business NZ PMI for September. The Australian Dollar (AUD/USD) posted one of its lowest daily closes for the year, hovering slightly above 0.6300, with a downward bias and attention on the October lows at 0.6285. Meanwhile, the Canadian Dollar (USD/CAD) strengthened, approaching 1.3700 on the back of US Dollar strength, with a potential target of 1.3800 if it closes above 1.3750. Precious metals like Gold and Silver faced declines due to the rise in Treasury yields, with Gold slipping below $1,870 and Silver dropping beneath $22.00. Upcoming data releases from China and Europe, as well as the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey, hold the potential to impact these currency markets, especially those of the antipodean currencies.
| Currency | Data | Time (GMT + 8) | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD | Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment | 22:00 | 67.2 |
Make informed decisions with the most up-to-date and reliable financial data, exclusively provided by vtmarkets.com.
