Black Friday is Now! Don’t miss out on up to 60% OFF InvestingProCLAIM SALE

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks march back to record highs as Middle East tensions ease

Published 10/01/2020, 13:38
Updated 10/01/2020, 13:45
© Reuters.  GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks march back to record highs as Middle East tensions ease
EUR/USD
-
USD/JPY
-
UK100
-
XAU/USD
-
DE40
-
GC
-
LCO
-
ESZ24
-
CL
-
DE10YT=RR
-
US10YT=X
-
STX50EEX
-
MIWD00000PUS
-
DXY
-
MIEM00000CUS
-

* European stocks edge higher, following Asian lead

* Gold, yen fall as MidEast worries ease; oil recovers

* Investors prepare for U.S. payroll data due at 1330 GMT

* Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

(Adds new quote, details, latest prices)

By Tommy Wilkes

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - World stocks set new record highs

on Friday and the prices of safe-haven assets such as gold

pulled back as investors cheered an apparent de-escalation in

U.S.-Iran tensions and looked instead toward prospects of

improved global growth.

Markets have swiftly reversed the sharp falls seen at the

start of the week after the United States killed Iran's most

senior general, as investors have concluded that a full-scale

military confrontation is unlikely.

The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks

shares in 49 countries, has quickly resumed its rally and added

another 0.12% on Friday to hit a new record high. It is almost

1.5% above the lows seen on Monday.

European shares also rose, although not quite hitting new

records. The pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 .STOXX50E gained 0.1%

and the German DAX .GDAXI 0.23%, while Britain's FTSE 100

.FTSE was unchanged.

The three major share indexes on Wall Street touched new

record highs on Thursday, and S&P 500 futures were 0.28% higher

ESc1 , pointing to a stronger open ahead of all-important U.S.

non-farm payrolls data due at 1330 GMT.

A Reuters poll of economists is forecasting the U.S. economy

will have added 164,000 jobs in December, down from 254,000 in

November, typically a strong month for hiring. Investors will

also be focusing on underlying wage growth data for a gauge of

underlying labour market strength.

Stock markets have got off to a decent start in 2019 despite

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to kill military

commander Qassem Soleimani, the second most powerful figure in

Iran, in a missile strike in Baghdad.

FULL CIRCLE

"In the space of a few days we appear to have swung full

circle; with investors seemingly convinced that the problems in

the Middle East appear to have settled down, at least for the

time being," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC

Markets.

"Investors now have the opportunity to focus on the signing

of the new U.S.-China phase one trade deal next week, as well as

the health of the U.S. economy today, and in particular the

labour market which has continued to look resilient," he added.

Adding to the bullish mood, investors welcomed news that

sales of Apple's iPhones in China in December jumped more than

18% on the year. They digested the report as a prelude to the

upcoming visit by China's Vice Premier Liu He, head of the

country's negotiation team in Sino-U.S. trade talks, to

Washington next week to sign a trade deal. MSCI's emerging market currency index .MIEM00000CUS ,

although little changed on Friday, hit 1-1/2-year highs on

Thursday in what is likely to be its sixth straight week of

gains. It has also benefited from three U.S. rate cuts last

year.

Safe haven assets extended their drop.

Gold XAU= eased 0.1% to $1,550 per ounce from a seven-year

high of $1,610.90 hit right after Iran's missile attack on

Wednesday.

Against the Japanese yen, which investors often buy in times

of uncertainty, the U.S. dollar strengthened 0.2% to a two-week

high of 109.65 yen JPY= .

The dollar was slightly firmer .DXY . The euro dropped 0.1%

to $1.1085 EUR= , its lowest in about two weeks.

Oil prices, which briefly spiked at the start of the week on

worries that tensions with Iran would disrupt global supplies,

recovered some of their subsequent losses.

Brent crude LCOc1 rose 0.3% to $65.57 a barrel, and was

heading for its first decline in six weeks and its biggest since

October, down around 4.5%.

U.S. crude oil CLc1 rallied 0.22% to $59.69 a barrel but

was also on track for its first weekly drop in six, falling 5.3%

from last Friday's close.

Government bond yields, which rose on Thursday as investors'

nerves about the situation in the Middle East eased, edged lower

on Friday.

The benchmark 10-year German bond yield DE10YT=RR fell

marginally to -0.221% but for the week remains up 6 basis

points, in a strong signal of investors' willingness to pull

back from safe-haven government debt for riskier assets.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield US10YT=RR slipped to

1.852% but it too remains up more than 6 basis points on the

week.

"With risk appetite showing little sign of abating following

another resurgent 24 hours in markets, the next potential hurdle

to jump is the first payrolls Friday of the new decade," said

Deutsche Bank macro strategists.

MSCI World Equity Index https://tmsnrt.rs/2NdTxAT

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

(Editing by Gareth Jones and Catherine Evans)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.