FYI: Global stocks started the week with gains, ahead of a meeting of the Federal Reserve when the U.S. central bank is expected to affirm its intention to keep interest rates unchanged for now.
In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 edged up 0.3%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.6% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.4%.
U.S. futures pointed to a flat open for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and an opening rise of 0.1% for the S&P 500.
At the conclusion of the Fed’s meeting on Wednesday it is likely that central bank officials will signal little if any appetite for rate increases this year—a move aimed at hedging against a potential global economic slowdown.
In equities, Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank , Germany’s two biggest lenders, traded higher on formal merger talk announcements. Commerzbank, which is partly owned by the German government, gained 3.9%, while Deutsche Bank, whose share price has suffered in recent months, traded 3.4% higher.
In Europe, markets will also be paying close attention to the latest developments in the U.K.’s departure from the European Union.
The WSJ Dollar index, which measures the currency against 16 of its peers, was 0.1% lower.
The yield on U.S. 10-year Treasurys on Monday was unchanged from Friday afternoon at 2.594%. Yields move inversely to prices.
Brent crude was largely flat at $67.19 a barrel, while gold was 0.1% higher at $1,303.70 an ounce.
Regards,
Ted
WSJ:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-inch-higher-ahead-of-the-fed-11552899187Bloomberg:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-17/asia-stocks-set-for-gains-as-focus-turns-to-fed-markets-wrap?srnd=premiumIBD:
https://www.investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-futures-current-stock-market-rally-apple-stock-microsoft-stock-boeing-737-max/CNBC:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/stocks-market-investors-await-federal-reserve-meeting.htmlU.K.:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-stocks/miners-banks-thrust-ftse-100-to-sixth-day-of-gains-idUKKCN1QZ0S4Europe:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-stocks/deutsche-commerzbank-merger-talk-brightens-mood-for-european-stocks-idUSKCN1QZ0QQAsia:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-rise-despite-uncertainty-over-us-china-trade-talks-2019-03-17/printBonds:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/15/bonds-and-fixed-income-investors-look-to-economic-data.htmlCurrencies:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/forex-market-dollar-brexit-vote-the-fed-in-focus.htmlOil:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/oil-market-opec-supply-cuts-us-sanctions-in-focus.htmlGold:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/18/gold-market-federal-reserve-brexit-vote-in-focus.htmlCurrent Futures:
https://finviz.com/futures.ashx
