NEW YORK, Nov 4 ― Global equities fell while US Treasury yields rose yesterday as investors weighed hawkish commentary from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on the prospects of further interest rate hikes targeted at reining in inflation.
Market sentiment has been bearish after the Fed on Wednesday raised rates by 75 basis points and Powell said during a press conference that the “ultimate level” of interest rates is likely higher than previously estimated, and the central bank still has “some ways to go.”
Traders, who were expecting the Fed to strike a more dovish stance after delivering its fourth consecutive rate hike, were rattled.
“We've done 400 basis points in eight months ― one of the steepest ascents in tightening in history ― and to not sit back and see for a few months how the data comes in is just reckless,” said Thomas Hayes, chairman at Great Hill Capital in New York.
The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 50 countries, shaved almost 2 per cent. European stocks dropped nearly 1 per cent after the Bank of England delivered its biggest rate rise since 1989.
On Wall Street, all three major indexes closed lower, led by a selloff in technology, communication services, financials, healthcare, and consumer discretionary stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.46 per cent to 32,001.25, the S&P 500 lost 1.06 per cent to 3,719.89 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.73 per cent to 10,342.94.
“I think the kind of double talk that we saw yesterday is really beginning to massively erode the credibility of anything they say. What's going to happen is that at some point, they're going to talk hawkish and the market is going to rally,” Hayes added.
Treasury yields were higher, with the two-year note climbing toward 5 per cent, following comments by the Fed chair and the interest rate hikes by the US and British central banks. Both notes have pared back some gains from the previous day's session.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year note rose to 4.149 per cent, while the two-year yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up at 44.7117 per cent.
The US dollar strengthened after the Fed's hawkish comments, while the euro and the pound slid after the BoE's statement. The dollar index rose 1.46 per cent, with the euro down 0.7 per cent to US$0.9748 (RM4.60).
Oil prices fell as an increase in US interest rates pushed up the dollar and heightened fears of a global recession that would crimp fuel demand.
Brent futures were down 1.5 per cent to settle at US$94.67 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell 2.0 per cent to settle at US$88.17.
Gold prices fell to a more than one-month low after the dollar gained following the Fed's stiff interest rate stance. Spot gold dropped 0.3 per cent to US$1,630.15 an ounce, while US gold futures GCv1 settled 1.2 per cent lower at US$1,630.9. ― Reuters
