Gold prices edge higher on raised Fed rate cut hopes
(Updates through close of U.S. trading)
By Jessica DiNapoli
NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gyrated on Friday
before ending slightly higher, as investors worried about
increased China-U.S. trade hostilities and disappointing retail
sales figures, while signs of a pick-up in crude demand boosted
oil prices.
The Trump administration on Friday moved to block global
chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment giant Huawei
Technologies HWT.UL , spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and
hammering shares of U.S. producers of chipmaking
equipment. China said it would put U.S. companies on
an "unreliable entity list." The U.S. Commerce Department said retail sales, a
significant portion of the economy, plunged 16.4% last month,
the biggest decline since the government started tracking the
figures in 1992. That data followed the historic loss of 20.5
million jobs last month. “From bad to worse to worst, the U.S. economy is in the
midst of an outright economic free-fall," said market analyst
Christopher Vecchio at Dailyfx.com.
Oil prices rose to their highest levels since March LCOc1
CLc1 on signs that demand from China is picking up and as
countries around the world ease travel restrictions imposed to
try to halt the pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 60.08 points,
or 0.25%, to finish at 23,685.42, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 11.2
points, or 0.39%, to close at 2,863.7 and the Nasdaq Composite
.IXIC added 70.84 points, or 0.79%, to end at 9,014.56.
"There's so much uncertainty around what earnings will look
like in 2021, 2022, and it's difficult to value stocks," said
Jeff Buchbinder, equity strategist for LPL Financial. "We're a
little bit cautious here and are not surprised about volatility
in the last couple days."
A broad measure of European stocks .STOXX ended a bruising
week roughly 4% lower, the biggest weekly fall since the
mid-March rout as the coronavirus crisis spread worldwide.
MSCI's world stock index .MIWD00000PUS was down around
2.8% this week, its biggest weekly drop since March.
Analysts said the weekly decline was a natural correction
after a rally since mid-March and also reflected growing
concerns about rising U.S.-China tensions.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a further
deterioration in his relationship with China over the novel
coronavirus, saying he had no interest in speaking to President
Xi Jinping and suggesting he could even cut ties with Beijing.
"There is no doubt that the optics around the
trade/diplomacy backdrop have worsened in the last week and this
has had a negative influence," said Chris Bailey, European
strategist at Raymond James in London.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has brushed off the
notion that the Fed could push rates into negative territory
after futures tied to Fed interest rate policy expectations
began pricing a small chance of sub-zero U.S. rates within the
next year. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last fell 7/32 in price
to yield 0.6412%, from 0.619% late on Thursday.
The dollar index =USD rose 0.12%, with the euro EUR= up
0.08% to $1.0813.
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Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
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