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US stocks surge on strong labour market data

US stock markets rallied on Friday following a robust labour market report, which investors interpreted as a sign of economic strength, reducing the likelihood of further large interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) this year. US Treasury yields shot up to finish the week, with two-year and ten-year yields trading just below 4%. Asian markets started the week on a positive note, buoyed by Wall Street's gains. This week, market participants will focus on key inflation data and central bank communications.

Date
Author
Shane Strowmatt, LGT
Reading time
5 minutes

US labour market report newspaper

US nonfarm payrolls rose by 254,000 in September, up from an upwardly revised 159,000 in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. The unemployment rate decreased to 4.1% from 4.2% in August. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.4% month-on-month and 4% year-on-year. Market participants interpreted the robust job growth as diminishing the likelihood of further large interest rate cuts by the Fed this year.

US stock markets surged on Friday, driven by the robust labour market report, which investors interpreted as a sign of economic strength. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 42,352.75 points, up 0.8%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.9% to 5751.07 points. The Nasdaq-100 outperformed, climbing 1.2% to 20,035.02 points. Notably, the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies advanced 1.5%, reflecting broad market strength. These gains allowed all three indices to recover from earlier weekly losses, with the Dow achieving a slight weekly increase. The recovery followed concerns over the escalation in the Middle East last week, particularly Iran's attack on Israel. 

Central bank activity and inflation dominate next week

This week, market participants will focus on key inflation data and central bank communications. In the US, the Consumer Price Index (Thursday) and Producer Price Index (Friday) will provide crucial insights into inflationary pressures, with speeches from several Federal Reserve members, including Kashkari (Monday), Bostic (Tuesday and Thursday), and Williams (Thursday), offering further context. The euro area releases retail sales data on Monday, while Germany’s harmonised Consumer Price Index is due on Friday. Additionally, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Reserve Bank of India announce their interest rate decisions on Wednesday, adding to a week rich with monetary policy developments.

Asian stocks start week on positive note

Stocks in the Asia-Pacific region were trading higher on Monday, buoyed by strong performances on Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was trading 2.4% higher, while Korea’s Kospi rose 1.5%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 1.4%, while mainland China’s markets remained closed for the Gold Week holiday. They are due to reopen on Tuesday.

EU to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

The European Union will implement tariffs of up to 45% on electric vehicles imported from China, starting next month, after securing the necessary support in a vote on Friday. Despite opposition from Germany, the EU Commission stated that the tariffs aim to counteract unfair Chinese subsidies identified in a year-long investigation. The decision has sparked threats of retaliation from Beijing, which argues the tariffs violate World Trade Organization rules. The EU's stance reflects growing tensions over trade policies and concerns about excessive state subsidies from China.

European stock indices showed mixed performance on Friday. The STOXX Europe 600 ended flat, while Germany’s DAX gained 0.6% to close at 19,120.93 points. France’s CAC 40 increased by 0.9%, reaching 7541.36 points.

Swiss unemployment rises in September

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) reported on Friday that Swiss unemployment increased in September 2024 to 113,245, up from 111,354 in August. This marks a significant 24.7% rise compared to September 2023. The unemployment rate edged up by 0.1 percentage points to 2.5%. Last month, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 1%, noting inflationary pressure in Switzerland has eased considerably compared to the previous quarter, thanks in part to the appreciation of the franc and lower oil prices. The Swiss Market Index edged down by 0.1% on Friday.

Corporate and economic calendar

Corporate news in focus: There is no major corporate news scheduled today.

Economic data in focus: German factory orders (08:00), Swiss foreign currency reserves (09:00), Sentix investor confidence for the eurozone (10:30), euro-area retail sales (11:00).

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Publisher: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd., Glärnischstrasse 36, CH-8027 Zurich
Editor: Alessandro Fezzi
Source: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.

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