Stocks Climb as Traders Weigh Fed Taper Outlook: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Global stocks rose for a seventh day and U.S. equity-index futures rallied as investors bet slower hiring in the world’s largest economy may delay a tapering of Federal Reserve stimulus. Aluminum hit a decade high amid political unrest in Guinea.

MSCI Inc.’s gauge of world stocks gained for a fourth day even as U.S. markets were closed for Labor Day. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose the most in six weeks, led by technology shares. Contracts on the S&P 500 Index climbed 0.2%. Aluminum supplier Norsk Hydro ASA jumped to a 13-year high in Oslo. Gold bounced between losses and a gain of 1.9%.

The latest U.S. jobs report threw traders’ calculations awry after they braced for an announcement of tapering at the Fed’s September meeting. The world’s largest economy added only 235,000 jobs in August -- the smallest gain in seven months -- boosting chances of a delay in that announcement. 

“Expectations of a delay in Fed tapering as well as a new administration in Japan is supporting equity markets and we expect this to continue,” said Sebastien Galy, senior macro strategist at Nordea Investment Funds. “Buy-on-dip is as robust as ever, taking negative news such as U.S. nonfarm payrolls as good news which is typical of an advanced carry trade.”

Aluminum hit the highest in over a decade as political unrest in Guinea fueled concerns over supply of the raw material needed to make the metal. A unit of the military seized power and suspended the constitution, raising the possibility of disruption to bauxite shipment from the key global supplier.

The U.S. dollar rose Monday for the first time in five days. The cash market in Treasuries was closed. The S&P 500 was little changed Friday and Treasury yields advanced as investors digested the disappointing U.S. payroll growth and faster-than-projected wage increases. 

Gains in Asia were led by Japan, where the equity benchmark rose to a 31-year high on wagers for new economic policies once Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga steps down.

Elsewhere, oil extended losses after Saudi Arabia slashed crude prices for Asian buyers. Bitcoin ended a five-day rally, trading around $51,600 apiece.

EQT AB, Europe’s biggest listed private equity firm, tumbled 4% in Stockholm after analysts at Nordea Bank cut their recommendation on the stock to sell. 

What to watch this week:

• U.S. President Joe Biden will likely make his choice this week on whether to renominate Fed Chair Jerome Powell to a second term
• Reserve Bank of Australia rate decision Tuesday
• China trade data will provide clues on its economic recovery, Tuesday
• El Salvador’s Bitcoin law takes effect, making the virtual currency legal tender, Tuesday
• Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan holds a virtual town hall discussion Wednesday
• ECB President Christine Lagarde holds a press conference after the bank’s rate decision Thursday
• China PPI, CPI, new yuan loans, money supply, aggregate financing, Thursday

For more market analysis, read our MLIV blog.

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.7%
• Futures on the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3% as of 4:20 p.m. New York time
• Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%
• The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.8%
• The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 0.6%

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%
• The euro fell 0.1% to $1.187
• The Japanese yen fell 0.1% to 109.85 per dollar
• The offshore yuan fell 0.2% to 6.451 per dollar
• The British pound fell 0.3% to $1.3836

Bonds

• Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.37%
• Britain’s 10-year yield declined two basis points to 0.69%

Commodities

• Brent crude fell 0.5% to $72.22 a barrel
• Spot gold lost 0.2% to $1,823.33 an ounce

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