In the absence of surprise, jittery trade is likely to turn on earnings – Unilever, Mercedes, StanChart and Amazon report on Thursday – and the behaviour of yields and the yen.
A view shows the European Central Bank (ECB) flag and the flag of the European Union in front of the ECB Building in Frankfurt, Germany, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
Yields focus
Google’s disappointing cloud division result sent Alphabet shares on their sharpest drop since March 2020 on Wednesday and they slid further in after-market trade during Asia hours.
A resurgent dollar knocked the Aussie and kiwi to one-year lows, while the yen crossed 150 per dollar and is trading at its weakest since Japanese authorities stepped into the market last October to drive it higher.
The 10-year Treasury yield headed towards 5% on Wednesday after a rebound in U.S. home sales provided another excuse to worry about interest rates staying high.
Investors were also rushing to Google Mike Johnson, the 51-year old conservative Republican from Louisiana who was elected speaker of the House of Representatives. He opposes sending aid to Ukraine. Trump supported his election as nominee.
The United Auto Workers union reached a tentative labour deal on Wednesday with Ford, the first of Detroit’s Big Three car manufacturers to negotiate a settlement to strikes.
Israel bombarded Hamas targets as it prepared for a ground invasion, with Russia warning the conflict could spread beyond the Middle East.
Key developments that could influence markets on Thursday:
Economics: European Central Bank meeting, U.S. GDP
Earnings: Unilever, Mercedes, Standard Chartered and, after market close, Amazon
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