BEIJING (AP) – Global stock markets advanced yesterday after strong United States (US) hiring dampened hopes the Federal Reserve might ease off plans for interest rate hikes and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) group of oil exporters agreed to output cuts to shore up prices.
London, Frankfurt and Tokyo gained. Hong Kong declined. Mainland Chinese markets were closed for a holiday.
Oil prices rose. The euro edged higher but stayed below USD1.
Wall Street futures edged lower after US stocks fell on Wednesday following a report by payroll processor ADP that employers added 208,000 jobs in September.
That showed parts of the economy are still strong, giving ammunition to Fed officials who say more rate hikes are needed to cool inflation that is at a four-decade high.
“The economy is too strong for the Fed to pivot. The strong start to October is over,” said Edward Moya of Oanda in a report.
In early trading, London’s FTSE 100 was up less than 0.1 per cent at 7,059.11. The DAX in Frankfurt gained 0.7 per cent to 12,610.37 and the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.4 per cent to 6,006.97.
On Wall Street, the future for the benchmark S&P 500 index was down 0.2 per cent. That for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1 per cent.
In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.7 per cent to 27,311.30 while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 0.4 per cent to 18,012.15.
The Kospi in Seoul surged one per cent to 2,237.86 while Sydney’s S&P ASX 200 loss less than 0.1per cent to 6,817.50.
New Zealand declined while Southeast Asian markets gained.
On Wednesday, the S&P 500 lost 0.2per cent. The benchmark was coming off its strongest two-day rally in two-and-a-half years.
The Dow slipped 0.1 per cent and the Nasdaq composite slid 0.2 per cent.
Investors hope data that show the economy weakening will persuade the Fed and central banks in Europe and Asia to ease off rate hikes. They worry aggressive action to cool inflation might tip the global economy into recession, but forecasters said hopes central bankers will relent might be premature.
Wall Street is waiting for corporate results that will show how inflation is affecting businesses and consumers’ willingness to spend.
Fed officials said they are determined to keep raising interest rates and hold them at an elevated level until it is clear inflation has subsided.
Traders get another update on US employment when the government releases its official jobs count today.
In energy markets, benchmark US crude rose 74 cents to USD88.50 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
It gained USD1.24 on Wednesday to USD87.76 per barrel after energy ministers from Saudi Arabia and other members of the OPEC agreed to production cuts to shore up sagging prices.
Oil surged to above USD110 per barrel following Russia’s February attack on Ukraine but has fallen back. The decision to support prices might help Moscow maintain its income once Europe’s decision to cut purchases of Russian crude as punishment for the war on Ukraine takes effect in December.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused OPEC of “aligning with Russia”.
Brent crude, the price basis for international oil trading, added 88 cents per barrel to USD94.25 in London. It advanced USD1.57 the previous session to USD93.37.
The dollar rose to JPY144.63 from Wednesday’s JPY144.49. The euro gained to 98.96 cents from 98.94 cents.
