A file photo of traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading in New York City, US. (AFP)
London: Global stock markets diverged yesterday as many investors sat on their hands ahead of a slew of US economic data releases and tech earnings, and as bond yields rose.
In midday trading in New York, the Dow was lower, the wider S&P little changed, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq higher.
Shares closed mostly lower in Europe.
Alphabet reports earnings after the market closes and many investors are awaiting to hear what the Google-parent has to say before taking any bets.
“When a mega-cap stock reports earnings, the stock market pays extra attention not only to the report itself, but also to any guidance,” said Patrick O’Hare, an analyst at Briefing.com.
In total, five of the “Magnificent Seven” US tech giants will report over the next three days, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook-parent Meta, and Microsoft.
On the economic front, the US government will release third quarter GDP growth estimates Wednesday, as well as inflation data Thursday and the closely watched monthly labour market report Friday.
Together, they should provide more clues about the health of the world’s largest economy and the direction of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.
Meanwhile, yields on 10-year US Treasuries have inched up to above 4.3 percent this week, the highest since early July, indicating that some market participants are increasingly counting on more limited rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.
The higher rates, which hurt company earnings and deter investors from taking money out of savings accounts to invest in the stock market, could also reflect unease about the deficit spending plans of both candidates in next Tuesday’s presidential elections, said Joe Mazzola, a strategist at Charles Schwab.
“The relentless climb in Treasury yields continues and threatens to overshadow any news, good or bad, on the earnings front,” he said.
Boeing was up almost two percent after reporting that its stock offering was over-subscribed.
The London, Paris and Frankfurt stock markets all closed lower Tuesday while Asian markets ended mixed.
London shed 0.8 percent as investors awaited the first budget of Britain’s new Labour government on Wednesday, expected to include tax rises on businesses.
Adidas shares were up almost 4 percent in Frankfurt after the sportswear giant again raised its full-year revenue outlook.
Oil prices initially recovered some of Monday’s losses after the US government said it would add to its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but then resumed their recent slide on expectations of a coming over-supply.
Bitcoin rose above $72,000 to levels last seen in June and close to its record highs on expectations that Donald Trump, who has sought the support of the crypto-currency world, will win next week’s elections.
