Global stock markets saw mixed performances on Tuesday ahead of significant events, including a US-China summit and key data releases across various economies. Anticipation surrounded these developments, nudging US futures upward and also bolstering oil prices slightly.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week during a Pacific Rim summit in California. This meeting marks the first face-to-face encounter in a year between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. Investors are also eager for updates on US consumer inflation. Analysts anticipate a 3.3% rise in prices for October compared to the previous year, a slight decrease from September’s inflation rate of 3.7%.
During early trading on Tuesday, France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.3% to reach 7,105.69, while Germany’s DAX rose by 0.5% to 15,422.24. Britain’s FTSE 100 made a modest gain of 2 points, reaching 7,427.77. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.1%, and the S&P 500 futures edged up by 0.2%. In Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose by 0.3% to close at 32,695.93, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.8% to 7,006.70, and South Korea’s Kospi added 1.2% to 2,433.25. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost nearly 0.2% to 17,396.86, while the Shanghai Composite increased by 0.3% to 3,056.07.
Asian stocks showed strength as investors awaited US inflation data, hoping for signals that interest rates have reached their peak. Positive geopolitical sentiment prevailed as investors looked forward to anticipated talks between the US and China, as noted by Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. Additionally, China is set to release monthly economic indicators, and Japan will announce its latest growth figures. On Monday, Wall Street closed with mixed results, witnessing the S&P 500 slipping by 0.1%, the Dow industrials gaining 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite falling 0.2%. US budget politics, including a vote on a stopgap package to prevent a federal shutdown, are currently under discussion in the House of Representatives.
Despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to curb high inflation by raising its main interest rate to its highest since 2001, the US economy remains robust. Concerns persist about the sustainability of growth as the full impact of these rate hikes unfolds. Investors are closely monitoring whether prices are continuing to cool down, hoping for a further decline from the peak of over 9% seen in the summer of 2022. A sustained decrease in inflation might signal to the Federal Reserve that additional rate hikes are unnecessary and could potentially expedite the timeline for interest rate cuts. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently indicated that a recent uptick in longer-term Treasury yields might serve as an alternative to further rate hikes. However, Powell emphasized that the Fed remains prepared to hike rates again if required.