Market Update
Mortgage Rates Jump to 5.78%, the Largest Weekly Jump Since 1987
Brian Turner
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates jumped to 5.78% for the week ending June 16, an increase of more than half a percentage point and largest increase on a weekly basis since 1987, according to the survey conducted by Freddie Mac.
Mortgage rates have jumped little more than two-and-a-half percentage points from the beginning of the year and jumped from 2.93% a year ago.
Industrial Production Increased 0.2% in May
Brian Turner
17 Jun, 2022
New York City
Total industrial production increased 0.2% in May and output has increased in every month of the year so far, with an average monthly gain of nearly 0.8%, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve.
Manufacturing output declined 0.1% after three months when growth averaged nearly 1%.
In May, the indexes for utilities and mining rose 1.0% and 1.3%, respectively.
Capacity utilization increased in May to 79.0% from 78.9% in April, the Fed statement noted.
Stocks Rebound Lacking Direction On Wall Street
Barry Adams
17 Jun, 2022
New York City
Stocks lacked direction and investors struggled to digest the impact of rising rates and Fed's ability to tame inflation without dipping the economy into a recession.
The mood on Wall Street reversed a day after the Fed raised rates at a faster pace than advertised before as investors began to digest the implications of higher rates faster.
The 75 basis points rate increase also accompanied the Fed lowering economic growth rate estimate to 1.7% for the current year from the previous estimate of 2.8% in March and increasing the jobless rate to 3.7% from 3.5%.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates jumped to 5.78% for the week ending June 16, an increase of more than half a percentage point and largest increase on a weekly basis since 1987, according to the survey conducted by Freddie Mac.
Mortgage rates have jumped little more than two-and-a-half percentage points from the beginning of the year and jumped from 2.93% a year ago.
Total industrial production increased 0.2% in May and output has increased in every month of the year so far, with an average monthly gain of nearly 0.8%, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve.
Manufacturing output declined 0.1% after three months when growth averaged nearly 1%.
In May, the indexes for utilities and mining rose 1.0% and 1.3%, respectively.
Capacity utilization increased in May to 79.0% from 78.9% in April, the Fed statement noted.
The S&P 500 declined 0.6% to 3,644.98 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1% to 10,657.90.
For the week, the S&P 500 is down 3.3% and the Nasdaq Index 2.01%.
Tech stocks led the mild rebound in early trading.
Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Microsoft rose between 1.0% and 1.5%.
Home Depot, Intel, JPMorgan, and 3M dropped to their new 52-week lows today.
European Markets Down 3% Weekly, Record High Inflation
European markets advanced and crude oil prices stabilized as investors shook off worries of rising rates and elevated inflation.
Market indexes advanced after crude oil prices stabilized above $115 a barrel and European natural gas prices declined 1.4% to $122.34 a unit.
Stocks opened higher but lacked direction and continued to trade in a tight range and positive bias after the Chinese cabinet vowed to support economic recovery through several measures.
Investors also took in strides the latest moves by the central banks in the UK. and Switzerland.
The DAX index gained 1.1% to 13,104.29, the CAC-40 index advanced 0.5% to 5,917.74, and the FTSE 100 index rose 0.5% to 7,078.28.
For the week, the DAX index declined 2.98%, the CAC-40 fell 2.47%, and the FTSE 100 index eased 3.3%.
Euro zone inflation rose to a record high of 8.1% in May on an annual basis, according to the final data released by the eurostat today.
The Swiss National Bank raised its key lending rate by 50 basis points to -0.25% and revised higher its inflation outlook for the year on Wednesday.
In 2022, the Swiss economy is estimated to grow at 2.5% and inflation at 2.8% before cooling down to 1.9% in 2023 and 1.6% in 2024.
The SNB noted in a statement that the unemployment is likely to remain low and "mortgage lending and residential property prices have risen further in recent quarters.
The SNB will continue to monitor developments on the mortgage and real estate markets closely."
On Thursday, the Bank of England lifted its key lending rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% and said inflation is likely to reach above 11% in the next few months.
The central bank noted that not all inflation is driven by the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions but pricing strategies of goods and services providers are also playing a role.
Banco Santander SA gained 2.7% to 2.71 euros after the Spanish bank appointed H
European Indexes Close Down 3%, May Inflation at Record High 8.1%
Bridgette Randall
17 Jun, 2022
New York City
European markets advanced and crude oil prices stabilized as investors shook off worries of rising rates and elevated inflation.
Market indexes advanced after crude oil prices stabilized above $115 a barrel and European natural gas prices declined 1.4% to $122.34 a unit.
Stocks opened higher but lacked direction and continued to trade in a tight range and positive bias after the Chinese cabinet vowed to support economic recovery through several measures.
Investors also took in strides the latest moves by the central banks in the UK. and Switzerland.
The DAX index gained 1.1% to 13,104.29, the CAC-40 index advanced 0.5% to 5,917.74, and the FTSE 100 index rose 0.5% to 7,078.28.
For the week, the DAX index declined 2.98%, the CAC-40 fell 2.47%, and the FTSE 100 index eased 3.3%.
Euro zone inflation rose to a record high of 8.1% in May on an annual basis, according to the final data released by the eurostat today.
The Swiss National Bank raised its key lending rate by 50 basis points to -0.25% and revised higher its inflation outlook for the year on Wednesday.
In 2022, the Swiss economy is estimated to grow at 2.5% and inflation at 2.8% before cooling down to 1.9% in 2023 and 1.6% in 2024.
The SNB noted in a statement that the unemployment is likely to remain low and "mortgage lending and residential property prices have risen further in recent quarters.
The SNB will continue to monitor developments on the mortgage and real estate markets closely."
On Thursday, the Bank of England lifted its key lending rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% and said inflation is likely to reach above 11% in the next few months.
The central bank noted that not all inflation is driven by the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions but pricing strategies of goods and services providers are also playing a role.
Banco Santander SA gained 2.7% to 2.71 euros after the Spanish bank appointed H
S&P 500 Down 3% and Nasdaq Drops 4% On Fed Worries
Barry Adams
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
Stocks on Wall Street plunged led by large declines in tech stocks on rising pessimism about the economic outlook.
The losses on Wall Street reverberated around the world and indexes in Europe fell more than 2% and Asian markets have been on the slide after the U.S. rate hike.
The S&P 500 declined 3.3% to 3,666.78 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 4.1% to 10,646.10.
Investors are skeptical that the Fed will be able to engineer a soft landing as the gap between long term interest rates and inflation remains very large.
Inflation is running above 8% and the yield on 10-year Treasury notes closed at 3.205% today.
Airlines were under pressure after the latest run up in oil prices are expected to trim thin operating margins.
American Airlines declined 8.6% to $12.16, Delta Air dropped 7.6% to $29.53, and United Airlines Holdings fell 8.1% to $34.84.
Travel stocks were also under pressure in today's market selloff.
Hilton Hotels declined 4.9% to $115.92, Hyatt Hotel Corporation fell 5.4% to $77.46, and Las Vegas Sands Corp dropped 4.9% to $31.06.
The leading tech stocks led the decliners.
Apple Inc fell 3.97% to $130.06, Amazon dropped 3.71% to $103.66, Microsoft decreased 2.7% to $244.97, and Alphabet Inc declined 3.4% to 2,132.72.
3M, American Express, Home Depot, Intel, JPMorgan, and Walgreens dropped to their 52-week lows.
Carnival Corp dropped 11.1% to $8.75, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd fell 11.3% to $35.17, and Norwegian Cruise Line declined 11.4% to $10.38.
Futures of crude oil prices rose $1.97 to $117.27 and natural gas declined 3 cents to $7.37 a unit.
Natural gas prices continued to rise in Europe after Russia throttled the supply for the third time in two months.
Russia controlled Gazprom said it will slash flow of natural gas via Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60% and blamed Siemens for not returning the compressor sent for maintenance.
Siemens said it was "impossible" to return compressors from its Canadian maintenance facility because of sanctions Canada had placed on doing business with Russia.
Gazprom also reported technical difficulties at Portovaya pump station near St Petersburg, Russia and said that the regulator had halted processing of gas at the location.
On June 14, Gazprom halted gas flow to 100 million cubic meters per day from 167 cmpd through Nord Stream 1 pipeline and Italy-based Eni also reported today that natural supplies have been cut by 15% without any explanation.
Gas buyers in Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Netherlands, Poland also lost access to supplies after customers refused to open ruble account with Gazprom as required by the latest decree from the Kremlin.
Natural gas futures surged in trading today 20% before settling near $118 per mega watt hour and extended jump nearly 50% since the beginning of the week.
The DAX index declined 3.0% to 13,038.49, the CAC-40 index plunged 2.4% to 5,886.27, and the FTSE 100 index dropped 3.1% to 7,044.98.
The Bank of England lifted rates by 25 basis points to 1.25%, fifth consecutive rate increase in a row.
The pound dropped 0.5% to $1.235 after the rate decision and rebounded from the earlier losses of 0.8%.
The Bank of England also lifted its inflation outlook to "slightly above 11%" by October on rising energy prices.
The U.K. economy unexpectedly declined 0.3% in April after falling 0.1% in March, the Office of National Statistics had reported a week ago.
The back-to-back monthly economic growth declines were last seen in March and April 2020.
The Swiss National Bank lifted its key benchmark rate by 50 basis points from -0.75% to -0.25%, the first rate increase since 2007.
The SNB also said it is prepared to act in foreign exchange market and defend the Swiss franc if necessary.
Jabil Net Rises 29% On Stable Gross Margins
Scott Peters
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
Jabil Inc the electronics contract manufacturer, said revenues in the fiscal third quarter ending in May increased 15.2% to $8.3 billion.
Net income increased 28.9% to $218 million from a year ago and diluted earnings per share increased to $1.52 from $1.12.
The diversified manufacturing services revenues rose 7% and electronics manufacturing services revenues jumped 23% from a year ago.
Gross margin dropped to 7.4% from 7.8% a year ago and net margin increased to 2.6% from 2.3% a year ago.
Operating cash flow increased to $745 million from $671 million, net cash used in investing activities declined to $616 million from $644 million, and net cash used in financing activities jumped to $639 million from $177 million.
Guidance and Outlook
The company guided fourth quarter revenues between $8.1 billion and $8.7 billion and guided operating income between $367 million to $427 million.
Diluted earnings per share in the fourth quarter are estimated between $1.78 to $2.18.
For the fiscal year 2022, the company guided total revenues of $32.8 billion and core earnings per share $7.45 excluding 8 cents linked to amortization charges and 10 cents related to stock option expenses.
Company and Stocks
Jabil offers electronics manufacturing services and operates 100 locations in 30 countries with over 260,000 employees.
Jabil stock declined today 9.8% to $53.03 and has declined 24.75% in the year so far.
Movers: Abbott, Carnival Cruise, CMC, Jabil, KLA, Revlon, Tesla, Twitter
Barry Adams
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
Stocks declined a day after the Fed lifted rates and trimmed economic growth outlook.
The Nasdaq composite plunged as much as 4% and tech stocks led the decliners. For the year, the index has dropped 32.5%.
The S&P 500 plunged 3.1% in a broad selloff and extended this year's loss deeper in bear market to 23.23%.
Airlines were under pressure after the latest run up in oil prices are expected to trim thin operating margins.
American Airlines declined 9.1% to $12.10, Delta Air dropped 7.6% to $29.53, and United Airlines Holdings fell 8.1% to $34.84.
Travel stocks were also under pressure in today's market selloff.
Hilton Hotels declined 4.9% to $115.92, Hyatt Hotel Corporation fell 5.4% to $77.46, and Las Vegas Sands Corp dropped 4.9% to $31.06.
The leading tech stocks led the decliners.
Apple Inc fell 3.4% to $130.80, Amazon dropped 4.01% to $103.42, Microsoft decreased 2.8% to $244.71, and Alphabet Inc declined 3.3% to 2,136.35.
Carnival Corp dropped 10.1% to $8.85, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd fell 9.9% to $35.77, and Norwegian Cruise Line declined 10.3% to $10.52.
Abbott Laboratories fell 2.7% to $102.50 after the company said it has stopped production of its EleCare specialty formula after wind and rain storms flooded the area and plant located in Sturgis, Michigan.
The company said it has notified FDA and production will be "delayed for a few weeks."
Three days ago the company said it will be importing 1.1 million pounds of powder infant formula to the U.S. from its manufacturing facility in Granada, Spain, beginning this month through this summer.
Commercial Metals Company declined 4.6% to $39.60 after the company said net income in the fiscal third quarter ending in May increased 140% from a year ago to $312.4 from $130.4 million and revenues jumped 25% to $2.03 billion.
Diluted earnings per share jumped to $2.54 from $1.07 a year ago.
Jabil Inc declined 8.4% to $53.97 after the electronics contract manufacturer said revenues in the fiscal third quarter ending in May increased 15.2% to $8.3 billion.
Net income increased 28.9% to $218 million from a year ago and diluted earnings per share increased to $1.52 from $1.12.
KLA Corp declined 3.7% to $311.89 and the company announced a $6 billion stock repurchase program ahead of investors day tomorrow in New York.
The chip equipment maker increased its quarterly dividend 24% to $1.30 a share.
The company also reaffirmed its current June quarter sales between $2.3 billion and $2.55 billion and adjusted earnings per share between $4.96 and $6.03.
The company guided fourth quarter revenues between $8.1 billion and $8.7 billion and diluted earnings per share between $1.78 and $2.18 and full-year revenues near $32.8 billion and core earnings per share $7.45.
Revlon Inc soared 25.3% to $2.81 despite the cosmetic company filing for a bankruptcy protection under the debt of $3.3 billion.
Tesla Inc declined 7.7% to $644.50 and investors worried that the recent fall in stock price may force CEO Elon Musk to raise cash by selling company's share to cover Tesla's stock on margin in financing a deal to buy Twitter Inc.
Twitter Inc decreased 1.0% to $37.60 and Elon Musk in today's meeting with Twitter management and staff is expected to reconfirm his interest in acquiring the social media platform.
Musk had threatened to pull out of the deal and accused the company of withholding information on fake accounts operated by robots.
Housing Starts Declined 14.4% in May, Building Permits Fell 7%
Brian Turner
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
Housing starts in May fell to 1.55 million annual rate , a decline of 14.4% from April's revised estimate of 1.81 million rate and 3.5% lower from the 1.605 million annual rate a year ago.
Building permits in May were at 1,7 million annual rate, a 7% decline from April and housing completion rate was 1.465 million, a 9.1% higher than the rate in April and 9.9% higher than the rate a year ago.
Jobless Claims Decline 3,000 to 229,000
Brian Turner
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
The seasonally adjusted weekly jobless claims for the week ending June 11 were 229,000, a decline of 3,000 from the previous week, the Department of Labor reported today.
Jobless rate held at 0.9% and matched the unrevised rate in the previous week.
U.S., Global Markets Accelerate Declines After U.S., U.K. Brazil, Switzerland Lift Rates
Barry Adams
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
U.S. stocks reversed solid days of Wednesday and accelerated declines after central banks around the world lifted rates.
On Wednesday, the Fed lifted its fed funds target rate range by 75 basis points between 1.5% and 1.75%.
The Fed also lowered its 2022 economic growth outlook to 1.7% from 2.8% in March and unemployment rate to 3.7% from 3.5%.
The Fed's hawkish tone was welcomed by investors on Wednesday but sparked the fears of economic slowdown and higher jobless rates.
Investors around the world interpreted the Fed's willingness to fight inflation as a signal for the looming worldwide slowdown.
Markets around the world plunged after the rate hike.
The S&P 500 declined 2.6% to 3,695.50 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.6% to 10,804.40.
The DAX index declined 3.2% to 13,071.74, the CAC-40 index plunged 2.5% to 5,878.17, and the FTSE 100 index dropped 3.1% to 7,049.01
Brazil, Switzerland, UK Lift Rates
The Bank of England lifted rates by 25 basis points to 1.25%, fifth consecutive rate increase in a row.
The pound dropped 0.78% to $1.2085 after the rate decision.
The Bank of England also lifted its inflation outlook to "slightly above 11%" by October on rising energy prices.
The U.K. economy unexpectedly declined 0.3% in April after falling 0.1% in March, the Office of National Statistics had reported a week ago.
The back-to-back monthly economic growth declines were last seen in March and April 2020.
The Swiss National Bank lifted its key benchmark rate by 50 basis points from -0.75% to -0.25%, the first rate increase since 2007.
The SNB also said it is prepared to act in foreign exchange market and defend the Swiss franc if necessary.
SNB President Thomas Jordan said that the anticipatory rate increase step was taken to stem the inflation spreading from goods and services sectors of the economy that are not affected by the war in Ukraine and pandemic restrictions.
Banco do Brasil lifted its benchmark Selic interest rate as expected by 50 basis points to 13.25%.
The rates were as low as 2% in March 2021 and are now at the highest levels since 2017.
The policy makers estimated an inflation rate of 8.8% in 2022, ahead of its target rate of 3.5%, and 4% in 2023, higher than its policy assumption rate of 3.25%.
U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Rise, Housing Starts Fall
The seasonally adjusted weekly jobless claims for the week ending June 11 were 229,000, a decline of 3,000 from the previous week, the Department of Labor reported today.
Jobless rate held at 0.9% and matched the unrevised rate in the previous week.
U.S. housing starts in May fell to 1.55 million annual rate , a decline of 14.4% from April's revised estimate of 1.81 million rate and 3.5% lower from the 1.605 million annual rate a year ago.
Building permits in May were at 1,7 million annual rate, a 7% decline from April and housing completion rate was 1.465 million, a 9.1% higher than the rate in April and 9.9% higher than the rate a year ago.
European Markets Plunge 2%, ASOS, Boohoo Dop On Falling Sales
Bridgette Randall
16 Jun, 2022
New York City
European markets plunged after the U.S. rate hike was followed by increases in Switzerland and the U.K. and sparked economic recession worries.
The Fed's aggressive rate increase and reiteration of its commitment in fighting inflation stoked fears of looming U.S. recession.
The Fed also lowered its 2022 economic growth outlook to 1.7% from 2.8% and lifted its unemployment projection to 3.7% from 3.5% in March.
The Fed's tough approach to inflation also signaled its readiness to slow down the U.S. economy sparking fears of global economic weakness.
The DAX index declined 2.7% to 13,125.74, the CAC-40 index plunged 1.9% to 5,917.17, and the FTSE 100 index dropped 2.5% to 7,089.01
The Bank of England lifted rates by 25 basis points to 1.25%, fifth consecutive rate increase in a row.
The pound dropped 0.78% to $1.2085 after the rate decision.
The Bank of England also lifted its inflation outlook to "slightly above 11%" by October on rising energy prices.
The U.K. economy unexpectedly declined 0.3% in April after falling 0.1% in March, the Office of National Statistics had reported a week ago.
The back-to-back monthly economic growth declines were last seen in March and April 2020.
The Swiss National Bank lifted its key benchmark rate by 50 basis points from -0.75% to -0.25%, the first rate increase since 2007.
The SNB also said it is prepared to act in foreign exchange market and defend the Swiss franc if necessary.
SNB President Thomas Jordan said that the anticipatory rate increase step was taken to stem the inflation spreading from goods and services sectors of the economy that are not affected by the war in Ukraine and pandemic restrictions.
Roche Holdings declined 1.6% to 302.90 Swiss francs after the pharmaceutical company suffered a setback the development of its crenezumab drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
The pharma company admitted that the development stage drug failed to slow cognitive decline in patients.
ASOS plc plunged 29.2% to 820.78 pence after the online fashion retailer reported sales in the quarter ending May were flat at 983.4 million pounds.
"The net sales were impacted by a significant increase in returns rates in the UK and Europe towards the end of the period, reflecting inflationary pressures on consumers which has a disproportionate impact on profitability," said the retailer.
The company also lowered its gross margin estimate for the year and added "gross margin now expected to be between 150bps and 200bps adverse, as elevated returns are expected to drive higher levels of markdown and a continuation in the negative impact of returns on product mix."
Boohoo Group Plc plunged 11.1% to 57.70 pence after the fashion retailer said March quarter sales declined 8% to 445.7 million pounds.
Gross margins declined 220 basis points to 52.8% from a year ago but rose 240 basis points from the second-half in the previous year.
CapGemini SE dropped 2.1% to 166.0 euros and the French IT services company said it plans to open semiconductor design services centers in several location in Europe.
Automakers were in focus after European passenger car registration declined in May, the tenth monthly decline in a row. However, the pace decline slowed in May.
BMW, Renault, Volkswagen, and Stellantis NV declined between 3% and 5%.
Asian Markets Point Higher, U.S. Historic Rate Hike Pressures Yen
Arjun Pandit
15 Jun, 2022
New York City
Asian markets pointed higher after the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted rates more than previously anticipated and held out for a tougher approach to inflation.
The Federal Reserve raised its key benchmark rate by 75 basis points, higher than previously anticipated 50 basis points, after inflation accelerated in May.
Investors cheered the Fed's aggressive stance on inflation and the largest rate hike since 1994.
In a busy week for central banks, the Bank of England and Swiss National Bank on Thursday are set to announce their rate decision and the Bank of Japan is scheduled to release its policy decision on Friday.
On Wall Street stocks climbed, bond yields fell, and energy prices eased.
The S&P 500 index increased 1.3% to 3,785.83 and the Nasdaq Composite index rose 2.4% to 11,086.37.
Futures of crude oil declined $3.01 to $115.91 a barrel but natural gas increased 27 cents to $7.46 a unit.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes edged lower to 3.33%.
China Data Shows Optimism, Japan Awaits BOJ Decision
In Wednesday's trading, stocks in China gained but in Japan and India declined ahead of the Fed decision.
The Bank of Japan is scheduled to commence its two-day policy meeting on Thursday and keep its ultra-low interest rate policy intact despite the widening yields with the U.S. bonds.
The latest U.S. rate increase will put additional pressure on rates but the central bank is expected to increase its government bond purchases and leave the rates unchanged near zero.
On Tuesday the Bank of Japan purchased 10-year government bonds for 3 trillion yen or $22 billion to keep bond yields in its target range below 0.25% and said the central bank is prepared to buy more if needed.
In Wednesday's trading, the Nikkei index declined 1.1% to 26,326.16, the Hang Seng Index gained 1.1% to 21,308.21, and the Sensex index eased 0.3% to 52,541.39.
Indexes in China closed higher after industrial production increased in May and retail sales fell less than expected.
Industrial production rose 0.7% in May after falling 2.9% in April and retail sales declined 6.7% after dropping 11.1% in April, the National Bureau of Statistic reported today.
The data were supported by the gradual relaxing of pandemic restrictions.
India's trade deficit widened after imports rose faster than exports.
Merchandise exports in May surged 20.6% to $38.94 billion and imports soared 62.8% to $63.22 billion resulting in a four-fold trade deficit surge to $24.3 billion.
Trade deficit in April was $6.5 billion and energy, coke, coal and gold imports drove the latest surge.
The commerce ministry estimated service exports increased 30% to $23.2 billion and imports soared 45% to $14.4 billion resulting in a trade surplus of $8.9 billion.
Overall exports rose 24% to $62.2 billion and imports surged 59.2% to $77.65 billion resulting in an overall deficit of $15.4 billion compared to the $1.3 billion surplus a year ago.
Rupee edged lower after the release of the latest trade statistics and closed at 78.71 against one dollar.
European Markets Advance After ECB Emergency Meeting
Markets in Europe traded higher after the European Central Bank's policy committee in an emergency meeting announced a plan to tackle widening sovereign bonds yields.
Many investors are worried that diverging yields between Germany and France from Greece and Italy could lead to a debt crisis.
In Wednesday's trading, the DAX index jumped 1.4% to 13,485.29, the CAC-40 index gained 1.4% to 6,030.13, and the FTSE index increased 1.2% to 7,273.41.
The European Central Bank said it plans to release a new tool to tackle widening sovereign bond yields and ease the debt crisis in the currency zone.
The yield on 10-year German Bund trade around 1.60% but the yields on similar maturities of Italian bonds surged above 4% and of Greek bonds hovered near 7%.
The central bank plans to reinvest redemptions from the proceeds of its emergency bond purchasing program in a flexible way.
The central bank set no limit for the purchase amount of bonds.
Banks in Europe advanced after the announcement and the Italian banks rose between 4% and 5%.
Stocks Rally After Fed Takes Aggressive Stance, 75 Basis Points Rate Hike
Barry Adams
15 Jun, 2022
New York City
Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve lifted rates at a faster pace and reiterated its commitment to fight inflation.
The Federal Reserve set the new target range between 1.5% and 1.75% and said the rates are likely to be at 3.4% by the year's end.
The S&P 500 index increased 1.3% to 3,785.83 and the Nasdaq Composite index rose 2.4% to 11,086.37.
Futures of crude oil declined $3.01 to $115.91 a barrel but natural gas increased 27 cents to $7.46 a unit.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes edged lower to 3.33%.
The widely anticipated interest rate increase of 75-basis-points met investors' expectations bolstering trading sentiment.
The Federal Reserve lifted its key benchmark rate most aggressively since 1994 and signaled it will continue its policy of tightening at a faster pace in taming 40-year high inflation.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the policy members voted in favor of lifting rates by 75-basis-points and set the new fed funds range between 1.5% and 1.75%.
The monetary policy committee reaffirmed its commitment to continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities as laid out at the end of the May meeting.
The Federal Reserve also lowered its 2022 growth projection to 1.7% from 2.8% and lifted the unemployment rate estimate to 3.7% from 3.5% estimated in March.
Retail Sales Turn Negative, Weaker Builders Sentiment
Retail sales turned negative as consumers curtail discretionary spending, the Commerce Department said today.
On a monthly basis, advance retail and food services sales fell 0.3% in May and excluding auto increased 0.5%.
Sales were lower from the downwardly revised 0.7% from 0.9% increase in April.
On a yearly basis, retail sales rose 8.1% as consumers dipped in savings to keep up with price increases.
Home builders sentiment index declined for the sixth month in a row as buyers stayed away after mortgage rates escalated in the last five months.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index decreased 2 points to 67 in June as home prices hovered near record levels and mortgage rates more than doubled.
European Markets Advance After ECB Emergency Meeting
The European market indexes advanced after an emergency of the policy committee of the European Central Bank.
The DAX index jumped 1.4% to 13,485.29, the CAC-40 index gained 1.4% to 6,030.13, and the FTSE index increased 1.2% to 7,273.41.
The European Central Bank said it plans to release a new tool to tackle widening sovereign bond yields and ease the debt crisis in the currency zone.
The yield on 10-year German Bund trade around 1.60% but the yields on similar maturities of Italian bonds surged above 4% and of Greek bonds hovered near 7%.
The central bank plans to reinvest redemptions from the proceeds of its emergency bond purchasing program in a flexible way.
The central bank set no limit for the purchase amount.
China Data Shows Optimism, Japan Awaits BOJ Decision
Markets in Asia reacted to local news and awaited rate decisions in the U.S. on Wednesday and Japan on Friday.
The Nikkei index declined 1.1% to 26,326.16, the Hang Seng Index gained 1.1% to 21,308.21, and the Sensex index eased 0.3% to 52,541.39.
Indexes in China closed higher after industrial production increased in May and retail sales fell less than expected.
Industrial production rose 0.7% in May after falling 2.9% in April and retail sales declined 6.7% after dropping 11.1% in April, the the National Bureau of Statistic reported today.
The data were supported by the gradual relaxing of pandemic restrictions.
Federal Reserve Lifts Interest Rates 75 Basis Points, Lowers Growth Estimate
Brian Turner
15 Jun, 2022
New York City
The Federal Reserve lifted its key benchmark rate most aggressively since 1994 and signaled it will continue its policy of tightening at a faster pace in taming 40-year high inflation.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the policy members voted in favor of lifting rates by 75-basis-points and set the new fed funds range between 1.5% and 1.75%.
The monetary policy committee reaffirmed its commitment to continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities as laid out at the end of the May meeting.
Only one of the eleven members of the policy committee voted against the larger rate increase.
Kansas City Fed President Esther L. George, against the measure and preferred to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 0.5 percentage point to 1-1/4 percent to 1-1/2 percent.
The Fed reiterated its commitment to fight elevated inflation and said "the Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run."
"I do not see moves of this size to be common" speaking to reporters after the meeting in Washington, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and referring to 75 basis points rate increase.
European Markets Advance After ECB Emergency Meeting to Fight Widening Bond Yields
Bridgette Randall
15 Jun, 2022
New York City
European markets advanced after the European Central Bank announced a plan to tame diverging bond yields.
The DAX index jumped 1.4% to 13,485.29, the CAC-40 index gained 1.4% to 6,030.13, and the FTSE index increased 1.2% to 7,273.41.
The European Central Bank said it plans to release a new tool to tackle rising sovereign bond yields and the risk of euro zone fragmentation.
The yield on 10-year German Bund trade around 1.60% but the yields on similar maturities of Italian bonds surged above 4% and of Greek bonds hovered near 7%.
The central bank plans to reinvest redemptions from the proceeds of its emergency bond purchasing program in a flexible way.
The central bank set no limit for the purchase amount.
Banks gained after the central bank announced its plan.
Italian banks Unicredit, Intesa Sanpaolo and BPER Banca gained between 3% and 5% after the ECB announcement.
Eurozone industrial production rebounded in April but the pace of growth remained weak, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.
On a monthly basis, industrial output increased 0.4% in April, reversing a revised 1.4% decline in March.
Industrial production was initially estimated to decline 1.8% in March.
The final inflation data in France matched the previous estimate as inflation continued to accelerate in the country on the continent.
The consumer price index rose 5.2% in May, faster than the 4.8% increase in April from a year ago.
The rate matched the flash data published on May 31.
On a yearly basis, energy prices soared 27.8% in May due to elevated petroleum product prices and food prices increased 4.3% in May and services cost rose 3.2% from a year ago.
Bulgaria's inflation rose the most in 24 years according to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute.
Consumer prices accelerated 15.6% in May following a 14.4% rise in April on an annual basis.
The latest inflation surpassed the previous record of 18.8% in May 1998.
Transport costs soared 32.6% yearly in May and prices food and non-alcoholic beverages advanced 22.7%.
H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB dropped 6.5% to 124.51 krona despite the apparel retailer reported sales increased 12% in local currencies in the latest quarter ending in May.
Sales increased 17% in Swedish krona.
Bloomsbury Plc increased 1.6% to 386 pence after the publishing company reported record sales and earnings and said "reading has become a reacquired habit and continues to thrive."
Sales surged 24% to