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US tech stocks drive market gains

US technology stocks led a market rally on Tuesday, pushing major indices higher despite mixed global economic signals. Asian markets remained volatile on Wednesday, with China's Shanghai Composite index experiencing a significant drop before recovering somewhat late in the session. Meanwhile, the New Zealand dollar fell after a rate cut, while India’s central bank remained on hold but signalled room for future cuts.

Data
Autore
Shane Strowmatt, LGT
Tempo di lettura
5 minuto

Candlesticks
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China's Shanghai Composite index dropped 3.1% on Wednesday, recovering late in the session from what would have been its largest single-day decline since February 2020. Unmet expectations for further substantial economic stimulus were driving mainland Chinese stocks down after equities in Hong Kong fell sharply the day before. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 1.3% on Wednesday.

New Zealand cuts, India maintains rates

New Zealand's central bank reduced its cash rate by 50 basis points to 4.75% on Wednesday, aligning with market expectations. This follows a previous 25 basis point cut in August. The New Zealand dollar fell versus the US dollar. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cited subdued economic conditions as the reason for the cut, with markets anticipating further easing in November. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained its key interest rate at 6.50% on Wednesday, marking the tenth consecutive meeting with no change, but indicated potential rate cuts in the future as economic growth shows signs of slowing. Annual retail inflation was 3.65% in August, slightly up from 3.60% in July but below the central bank's 4% target.

The interest rate cuts didn’t seem to have a clear impact on stock trading around the Asia-Pacific region on Wednesday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was trading 1.1% higher, while Korea’s Kospi fell 0.6%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.1%.

US tech stocks drive market gains

Significant gains by major US technology stocks led to overall market increases on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 42,080.37 points, gaining 0.3%, while the S&P 500 rose 1% to finish at 5751.13 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 surged 1.6% to 20,107.78 points. Key contributors included Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, with increases of up to 4.1%. Market participants cited short-covering ahead of the Federal Reserve's minutes release on Wednesday, which contributed to the upward momentum.

In individual tech stocks, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated on Tuesday it is contemplating a potential breakup of Google following a recent monopoly ruling. The DOJ is exploring various remedies, including structural changes to prevent Google from leveraging products like Chrome, Play, and Android to dominate the search market. This follows an August ruling that Google holds a monopoly in the search market. Google plans to appeal, which could extend the resolution process for years.

Oil prices stabilise after slide

Oil prices stabilised on Wednesday after a sharp 4% decline on Tuesday, with Brent crude oil and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices rising slightly, trading around USD 78 and USD 74 per barrel, respectively.
The recent volatility follows mixed signals from the Middle East, including potential ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah.

German industrial production rebounds in August

German industrial production increased by 2.9% in August, recovering from a 2.9% decline in July, according to data released by the statistics office on Tuesday. This rebound exceeded the mild growth forecasted by the market. Despite this monthly improvement, in recent months, macroeconomic data in Europe’s largest economy has been deteriorating with German Manufacturing PMI falling to 40.6 in September from 42.4 in August, marking a 12-month low. On Wednesday, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said he expects the German economy to contract in 2024. Nagel cited weak domestic and foreign demand, coupled with economic uncertainty, as key factors for the downturn. The Bundesbank had predicted a 0.3% growth in June, but recent data suggests possible stagnation or decline in the third quarter, following a slight drop in the second quarter.

European stock indices declined on Tuesday with the STOXX Europe 600 slipping 0.6% and Germany’s DAX falling 0.2%.

Corporate and economic calendar

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

Economic data in focus: German trade balance (08:00), Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting minutes (20:00).

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