U.S. Futures Slide, Dollar Up Amid China Outbreak: Markets Wrap
U.S. and Japanese equity futures retreated and the dollar climbed against major peers after a coronavirus outbreak in China added to concerns of a resurgence in the pandemic.
S&P 500 futures opened about 1% lower. Beijing closed the city’s largest fruit and vegetable supply center and locked down nearby housing districts after dozens of people associated with the wholesale market tested positive for the coronavirus. That’s after second-wave concerns intensified in some U.S. locations last week. Crude oil retreated.
The prospect of another wave of Covid-19 just as economies continue to reopen is keeping traders on edge and pushed global equities and Treasury yields lower last week. In the U.S., there are rising infections in 22 states. France, meantime, moved to open restaurants to indoor diners as soon as Monday.
These are some key events coming up:
- Policy decisions from the Bank of Japan, Bank of England and the Swiss National Bank are due this week.
- China on Monday releases industrial production and retail sales data for May.
- CBOE plans to open its trading floor, which has been electronic only since March 16.
- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers his semi-annual policy report to Congress.
These are some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
- S&P 500 futures fell 1% as of 7:01 a.m. in Tokyo. The S&P 500 advanced 1.3% on Friday.
- Futures on Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 0.8%.
- Hang Seng futures fell 0.5% on Friday, when contracts on Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index added 0.4%.
Currencies
- The euro fell 0.1% to $1.1241.
- The yen rose 0.1% to 107.49 per dollar.
- The offshore yuan slid 0.1% to 7.0826 per dollar.
- The Aussie dropped 0.5% to 68.33 U.S. cents.
Bonds
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries gained about three basis points to 0.70% on Friday.
Commodities
- West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 1.2% to $35.83 a barrel.
- Gold was at $1,729.19 ounce.
— With assistance by Nancy Moran
Source: Read Full Article