BackGlobal markets fall on earnings outlook, dollar eases
Three straight days of record closing highs for the S&P 500, Dow and MSCI's all-country world index tamped down investor enthusiasm
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New York: The dollar eased and global equity markets fell on Tuesday as investors stepped back ahead of second-quarter earnings reports and after successive record highs last week for several major stock indices.
Media reports of new US fines for banks and dimming prospects that the European Central Bank (ECB) will launch an asset-purchase programme weighed on sentiment in Europe, as did German imports and exports that dropped more than expected in May.
The dollar fell against the Japanese yen as long-dated treasuries yields dropped for a second day, with investors wary of riskier assets as the US earnings season began.
Safety buying of long-dated treasuries is seen limiting dollar strength, at least in the near term. Three straight days of record closing highs for the S&P 500, the Dow industrials and MSCI’s all-country world index tamped down investor enthusiasm.
“We’ve seen a bit of risk aversion in the market and the tendency for yields to fall in the US and the dollar to fall in sync with it," said Sebastien Galy, senior foreign exchange analyst at Societe Generale in New York. “It’s driven by equities."
MSCI’s ACWI fell 0.6% to 429.22, while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 1% at 1,368.08 points.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 112.03 points, or 0.66%, to 16,912.18. The S&P 500 lost 13.57 points, or 0.69%, to 1,964.08 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 63.206 points, or 1.42%, to 4,388.324.
“It’s all about earnings," Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial in Waltham, Massachusetts said. “It’s just people pulling back, pulling their heads in a little bit and saying ‘Wait a minute, maybe we got a little ahead of ourselves, let’s see what the news actually says.’"
European equity indexes fell for a third consecutive day after reports that Germany’s largest lenders were negotiating a settlement with the US authorities over their dealings with countries blacklisted by Washington. The talks follow a huge fine for French lender BNP Paribas.
The ECB has made unprecedented policy moves in recent months to stimulate bank lending and revive the euro zone economy.
But late on Monday ECB executive board member Sabine Lautenschlaeger showed the strength of opposition in some quarters to a programme of asset purchases, which she said should be a last resort.
The dollar fell 0.27% against the yen to ¥101.54. The euro rose 0.05% to $1.3611.
The 10-year US treasury note rose 13/32 in price to yield 2.5684%.
Oil prices extended their recent decline as events in Iraq and Ukraine have so far not led to serious disruption in flows. Brent dipped 96 cents to $109.28 a barrel and US oil lost 1 cent to $103.52 a barrel. Reuters
John Geddie in London also contributed to this story.
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