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Business News/ Market / Stock-market-news/  Euro slides, dollar up on central bank views
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Euro slides, dollar up on central bank views

Dow Jones rises 0.16%, S&P 500 gains 0.24%, Nasdaq adds 0.28%

The MSCI world equity index dropped 0.3%, with its October gain above 4%. Photo: AFPPremium
The MSCI world equity index dropped 0.3%, with its October gain above 4%. Photo: AFP

New York:he euro fell the most against the US dollar in six months on Thursday while the greenback rose against major currencies on expectations of diverging policy paths by the US and European central banks.

The gain in the US currency triggered the largest drop in spot gold prices in three weeks. Wall Street stocks edged up and US Treasuries prices fell as investors assessed the likelihood of when the Federal Reserve will begin to scale back its stimulus.

Market expectations that the Fed would continue its $85 billion a month bond-buying program well into next year were not fully met Wednesday at the end of a Fed meeting, and some now see a chance for the Fed to begin a wind-down in December.

The current pace of purchases has pressured the dollar and driven Treasury yields lower, while boosting equities and some commodities. Those trends were partially reversing on Thursday.

In the eurozone, by contrast, inflation dropped to its lowest in nearly four years and raised speculation the European Central Bank will further ease monetary policy. The euro fell on the inflation data, and the greenback extended gains.

Adding to bets on a Fed action, US data showed business activity in the US Midwest greatly exceeded expectations in October, countering recent evidence of soft economic growth. New orders hit their highest level since 2004.

“The Chicago PMI spiked higher significantly, showing strength in manufacturing in that region, and the Fed is very data dependent," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.

“So there is going to be talk because of this that the Fed is closing in on tapering bond purchases."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 24.72 points or 0.16%, to 15,643.48, the S&P 500 gained 4.29 points or 0.24%, to 1,767.6 and the Nasdaq Composite added 11.175 points or 0.28%, to 3,941.795.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was up 0.4% to hit a five-year high, and posted a second straight month of gains with a rise of 3.7% in October.

The MSCI world equity index dropped 0.3%, with its October gain above 4%.

US Treasuries prices fell after the strong Midwest business activity reading, which cut into pessimism that fourth-quarter growth would be sub-par due to the partial government shutdown during the first half of October.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes last traded down 6/32 in price with a yield of 2.5469%. They were up as much as 7/32 in price with a yield of 2.502% earlier.

Currencies, commodities rattled

The euro fell the most in six months versus the dollar, down 1% at $1.3598. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major currencies, added 0.5% to trade above 80 for the first time in two weeks, extending its five-session streak of gains to a total of 1.2%.

The euro was hurt further after the European Union’s statistics agency reported that inflation in the 17-country euro zone unexpectedly dropped to a near four-year low in October and unemployment stayed at a record high in September. German retail and French consumer data also came in below par.

“We have had a nasty combination of a lack of inflationary pressures and record unemployment, and the market’s interpretation is that the ECB may sit up and take notice," said Jeremy Stretch, head of currency strategy at CIBC.

The dollar strength weighed in commodities markets. Spot gold slumped 1.3%, the most in three weeks, while spot silver lost 3.2%, the most in more than a month.

Brent crude fell 1% to $108.77 a barrel and US crude fell 0.5% to $96.32. Reuters

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Published: 01 Nov 2013, 01:31 AM IST
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