Wall Street maintained a neutral stance in anticipation of a key report that could either bolster or dampen the optimism that fueled a surge in stocks toward the end of the previous year. The S&P 500 showed a modest 0.2% increase early on Wednesday, following a day of minimal movement. The Dow experienced a 108-point rise, and the Nasdaq composite posted a 0.3% gain. Treasury yields edged lower in anticipation of Thursday’s U.S. government report on consumer-level inflation, a crucial factor for the Federal Reserve in shaping its interest rate policy. Crude oil prices saw an increase.
In the latest breaking news update, Wall Street remained calm on Wednesday following a lackluster session the day before, with a focus on upcoming U.S. inflation data and significant corporate earnings reports later in the week.
Before the market opened, S&P 500 futures remained essentially flat, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures edged down slightly by less than 0.1%.
The U.S. government is set to release its monthly update on consumer-level inflation on Thursday, a key metric influencing the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions.
On Friday, major companies, including Delta Air Lines, UnitedHealth Group, and several major banks, will begin reporting their Q4 2023 results.
In midday trading in Europe, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 remained flat, while Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped by 0.3%.
Meanwhile, Tokyo’s benchmark reached its highest level since March 1990, driven by a weaker yen benefiting export manufacturers.
The Nikkei 225 surged by 2.1% to 34,465.00, with heavy buying observed in chipmakers. Speculation that the Bank of Japan might delay changes to its ultra-lax monetary policy following a 20th consecutive monthly decline in wages also contributed to the market’s positive sentiment.
The yen’s weakening against the U.S. dollar boosted share prices of export manufacturers like Kyocera Corp., up 5.7%, Sony Group Corp., up 3.8%, and Fanuc Corp., up 2.8%.
The U.S. dollar strengthened to 145.24 Japanese yen from 144.48 yen. It had recently dipped amid expectations that the Bank of Japan might shift its policy after maintaining a benchmark interest rate at minus 0.1% for an extended period.
In other parts of Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped by 0.6% to 16,097.28, and the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.5% to 2,877.70. South Korea’s Kospi dropped by 0.8% to 2,541.98, reflecting the country’s highest unemployment rate since January 2022, according to Statistics Korea. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell by 0.7% to 7,468.50.
In commodity markets on Wednesday, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil gained 34 cents to reach $72.63 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose by 26 cents to $77.85.
The euro strengthened to $1.0945 from $1.0931.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 slipped by 0.1% following its best day in nearly two months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.4%, while the Nasdaq composite posted a 0.1% gain.
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