World stock index hits record, bonds rise, fueled by Fed
by
NEW YORKJun 19, 2014 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by
Jun 19, 2014 12:00 am
A leading global stock index hit an all-time high and bond prices rose on Thursday a day after the Federal Reserve lowered its forecast for target U.S. interest rates in the long term, an outlook that lifted risk appetite around the world. Stocks on Wall Street fell slightly after the benchmark S&P 500 surged to a new record on Wednesday when the Fed expressed confidence the U.S. economic recovery was on track.
Stocks in Europe rose to new six-year highs after equities in Asia posted strong gains, while U.S. Treasuries yields fell to two-week lows on the Fed's more dovish tone following a meeting of the central bank's policy-makers. The dollar sank to three-week lows as many traders had expected the Fed to take a more hawkish stance because of recent signs of a pick-up in price pressure.
The bond market is ignoring the Fed's lowered projections for growth and what the outlook for unemployment says, which is a reason to be cautious, said David Kelly, chief global strategist for JPMorgan Asset Management.
"A lot of money in short-term accounts needs to be put to work, and that is helping both the bond market and stock market. The stock market is doing well because the bond market did not react in any negative way to what the Fed said," Kelly said.
MSCI's all-country world index, which accounts for about 85 percent of global investable equities, rose 0.46 percent to pass an all-time high set in November 2007. In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of regional shares rose 0.59 percent to close at 1,395.58 points after earlier touching a six-year high.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 25.15 points, or 0.15 percent, to 16,881.47. The S&P 500 lost 1.79 points, or 0.09 percent, to 1,955.19 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 11.291 points, or 0.26 percent, to 4,351.545. Benchmark 10-year notes rose 2/32 in price to yield 2.6079 percent. In Europe, peripheral euro zone bond yields headed back toward historic lows. German bund futures ticked up 68 points to settle at 146.14.
The greenback touched a three-week low against a basket of currencies at 80.147. The euro strengthened to a 10-day high against the dollar, while sterling advanced to its highest level versus the greenback since October 2008.
The euro gained 0.13 percent to $1.3812, while the dollar fell 0.03 percent to 101.88 yen. Brent crude hit a nine-month high above $115 a barrel on concerns heavy fighting in Iraq could limit oil supply from OPEC's second-biggest producer. Brent was up 80 cents at $115.06 a barrel. The U.S. crude oil futures contract for July, which expires on Friday, rose 23 cents at $106.20 a barrel.
About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.