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Stocks Climb to Records With Tech Leading Advance: Markets Wrap

All you need to know about global markets today.

Stocks Climb to Records With Tech Leading Advance: Markets Wrap
A trader talks on the phone while working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)

U.S. stocks notched fresh records, with tech shares in the lead as investors snapped up work-from-home winners.

Zoom Video Communications Inc. led a rally in companies well positioned for stay-at-home orders, while Apple Inc. pulled the S&P 500 Index to a fresh high after August’s blowout gain. The dollar erased losses as data showed U.S. manufacturing expanded last month at the fastest pace since 2018. Treasury yields dipped.

Stocks Climb to Records With Tech Leading Advance: Markets Wrap

Stocks have churned ever higher as investors anticipate a flood of cash coming into the market, with last week’s announcement from the Federal Reserve that the central bank will maintain an easy-money policy adding fuel to the trade. Meanwhile, Chinese factory data Tuesday signaled rising global demand for exports after the initial shock of the pandemic, a good sign for the world economy.

“The big theme right now is the unrelenting, record-breaking rally in tech stocks,” said Candice Bangsund, portfolio manager of global asset allocation at Fiera Capital Corp. “The landscape for stocks is great but there’s still, from a macro perspective, a lot of unknowns as to the progression of the virus and, of course, the implications for global growth.”

Oil climbed toward $43 a barrel as the pickup in economic activity in the U.S. and China signaled a pronounced recovery in crude consumption.

The Stoxx Europe 600 slumped, with travel and leisure shares among the worst performers.

In Asia, equity indexes were mixed. South Korean shares rose, while Australia’s stock benchmark dropped to the lowest since early August.

Stocks Climb to Records With Tech Leading Advance: Markets Wrap

Here are some key events to watch this week:

  • Australia GDP is due Wednesday.
  • U.S. jobless claims for the week ended Aug. 29 are due Thursday.
  • U.S. jobs report Friday is forecast to show payrolls continued to rebound in August from virus lows.

Here are the main market moves:

Stocks

  • The S&P 500 Index rose 0.8% as of 4 p.m. New York time.
  • The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.3%.
  • The MSCI Asia Pacific Index increased 0.5%.
  • The MSCI Emerging Market Index increased 1.5%.

Currencies

  • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose less than 0.1%.
  • The euro fell 0.2% to $1.1908.
  • The Japanese yen was little changed at 105.95 per dollar.

Bonds

  • The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell three basis points to 0.67%.
  • Germany’s 10-year yield fell two basis points to -0.42%.
  • Britain’s 10-year yield fell two basis points to 0.29%.

Commodities

  • West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.6% to $42.88 a barrel.
  • Copper fell 1.4% to $3.019 a pound.
  • Gold rose 0.1% to $1,969.56 an ounce.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.