West Texas Intermediate oil decreased for the second straight day on Friday as the International Energy Agency reduced its global oil demand forecast, however prices are set to record the fifth weekly gain in six weeks. WTI for delivery in the next month dropped 36 cents to $93.15 a barrel on the NYMEX and was traded at $93.17 as of
Emerging-market shares decreased on Friday snapping a four-day rally as Infosys (INFO) ltd's forecast of sales matched expectations and economists projected slow recovery of South Korean carmakers and shipbuilders. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index declined by 0.6% to 1,023.48 as of 1:35 p.m. Hong Kong time paring its rise this week to 1.5%.
German government bunds were little changed on Friday with the benchmark 10-year yield heading for its weekly drop before a report showed that industrial output in the Eurozone increased in February. 10-year rate was at 1.30% at 7:09 a.m. in London after the yield increased to 1.33% yesterday, the highest level since March 27.
U.S. Treasuries were set to record a weekly loss as the President of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Charles Plosser said that the central bank should change its loosen monetary policy and reduce bond purchases in next few months. U.S. benchmark 10-year yield was little changed at 1.79% at 7:08 a.m. London time and the price of the bonds were at
European shares declined on Friday ending a four-day rally for the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index before the U.S. retail sales report showed steady level of sales and as Eurozone's finance ministers meeting in Dublin. The Euro Stoxx 50 Index futures declined 0.5% to 2,603 earlier on Friday London session, however the Stoxx 600 has advanced 5.5% this year.
Farm commodities except for sugar were bullish on Thursday amid mounting concerns over unfavorable weather in the U.S. Great Plains. Cold temperatures in the U.S. are impacting the development of winter varieties and slowing early plantings. At the same time, abundant supplies from Brazil weighed on softs. Wheat edged higher after the USDA confirmed China's order of the grain. However, the
Energy futures except for natural gas dropped on Thursday after the IEA cut its forecast for world's oil demand for 2013. The IEA reduced its estimate by 45,000 barrels per day, citing weak demand from Europe. European consumption is expected to fall 330,000 barrels per day to the lowest level since 1985. Crude and Brent oil declined on elevated U.S. inventories
Base metals apart from aluminum advanced on Thursday on positive numbers from China. New loans issued in China rose more-than-expected in March, alleviating worries over tight liquidity conditions in the country. However, concerns over a jump in global production limited gains of industrial metals. Aluminum was the only loser amid increasing supply glut and high inventories at the LME. Stocks at
Precious metals climbed on Thursday on broadly weaker U.S. Dollar. However, the upswing was restricted as better-than-expected US jobs data raised concerns the Fed may scale back its easing programme. Gold moved higher despite talks that Cyprus may sell EUR400 million of its gold reserves. Adding pressure, holdings of gold-backed ETPs remained at record low. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs cut its
German harmonized inflation measured under the EU methodology stayed flat matching the forecast in March, a report unveiled by the Federal Statistical Office showed on Thursday. The report said that the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) was unchanged in March at 1.8% on an annual basis, while on a monthly basis it increased by 0.4% on the month.
EU harmonized inflation in France slipped in the month of March falling to its lowest level in more than 39 months, however the fall was less steep than expected, the statistical office Insee reported on Thursday. The report showed that harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) weakened from 1.2% recorded in February to a level of 1.1% in March.
Import prices in the U.S. recorded a pullback in March from the month before mainly due to a notable decrease in fuel import prices, a report released by the Labor Department unveiled on Thursday. The report said that import prices dropped 0.5% in March after they increased by 0.6% in the previous month, while fuel import prices fell 1.9% in
Unemployment in Greece increased significantly in January with the jobless rate hitting its historical high as the ongoing crisis in the country weighted on activity in the labour market, a report revealed by the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed on Thursday. The Greece unemployment rate rose from 25.7% in December to new record high at 27.2% in January, while in January
Initial claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. decreased by more than preliminary estimated in the week ended on April 6 falling from the highest level in four months set the week before, a data released by the Labor Department unveiled on Thursday. The report showed that first-time jobless claims dropped by 42,000 from 388,000 to 346,000, while it was
Emerging-market shares increased for the third straight day on Thursday mainly due to a growth of technology sector and consumer discretionary companies as South Korea's currency rose and Turkish two-year yields declined to its lowest level in one month. The MSCI Emerging Market Index gained 0.5% to 1,029.56 earlier on Thursday London session, its highest since April 1.
The emerging-market average yield shrank to the lowest levels all time on Thursday as the Bank of Japan decided to double its monetary base in next two years in order to fight deflation in the country boosting demand for higher-yielding assets. The average yield in emerging markets tracked by JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 0.16% since April 3 with the South Africa's 10-year yield fell
Crude declined for the first time in a four-day period on Thursday as stockpiles in the U.S. reached the 22-year high and as the International Energy Agency's outlook for global oil demand decreased. May Brent futures lost 70 cents, or 0.7%, to $105.09 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange, while the Brent premium to WTI fell to $10.75,
German government bunds decreased for the fourth successive day on Thursday after a report released by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany showed that showed that consumer price inflation in the country advanced to 1.8% in March. The benchmark 10-year yield rose 0.01 percentage point to 1.32% after it gained nine basis points in last three days.
Spanish government bonds decreased to its lowest level since November 2010 as investors are seeking for higher-yielded assets amid speculation of more stimulus measures added by central banks worldwide. Spanish 10-year yields declined by one basis point to 4.63% on Thursday following an earlier fall to 4.61%, the weakest level since November 2010.
Italian government bonds increased on Thursday pushing the 10-year yield to its lowest in six weeks after a report showed that borrowing costs dropped at sales of 7.2 billion euros of debt. Italy's 10-year yields decreased by two basis points, or 0.02 percentage points, to 4.30% at 1:49 p.m. in London after the rate fell to the lowest level since
The U.S. Dollar slipped 0.2% to 1.3097 per Euro and decreased to 86 cents per New Zealand Dollar in the morning of New York trading session on Thursday. The U.S. currency weakened against the major counterparts, as global investors speculate that central banks around the world will keep monetary stimulus programs, what will boost demand for higher yield assets.
Gold futures for June settlement were higher by 0.4% to $1,564.40 an ounce in the morning of New York trading hours on Thursday. The metal gains the second time from three previous days, as the U.S. Dollar edges lower and boosts demand for the precious metals. The U.S. Dollar lost 0.6% versus six major counterparts, as weak jobless data increase
Copper futures with settlement in three months were lower by 0.4% to $7,541 metric ton in the morning of the London Metal Exchange hours on Thursday. The price declined for s second straight day amid speculation that the Federal Reserve Bank will curb monetary stimulus and that would threat demand in the U.S., which is the second-largest world consumer of the metal.
The 10-year break-even norm, an index measuring expectations of the annual expectations, increased to the highest level in previous four-and-half year. It advanced by four basis points to 3.38 percentage points at midday London trading hours on Thursday. The rate gained after the Debt Management Office sold inflation related bonds valued for 1.6 billion Pounds with maturity in 2024.