Stocks were under pressure and oil climbed as Iran intensified its rhetoric against Israel after an explosion at a Gaza hospital that complicated diplomatic efforts to rein in the Middle East conflict.
(Bloomberg) — Stocks were under pressure and oil climbed as Iran intensified its rhetoric against Israel after an explosion at a Gaza hospital that complicated diplomatic efforts to rein in the Middle East conflict.
The S&P 500 hovered near 4,350. Morgan Stanley sank about 6% amid a profit decline. United Airlines Holdings Inc. slid after warning the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and higher jet fuel costs would weigh on earnings. Procter & Gamble Co. rose as sales beat estimates. Tesla Inc. and Netflix Inc. are due to report results after the close.
President Joe Biden, in some of his first comments after arriving in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, suggested the Israeli military was not responsible for a deadly blast at a hospital that left hundreds dead and spiked tensions across the Middle East. Traders had been on alert in case Israel opts to launch a ground offensive into Gaza, potentially igniting a broader conflict that may draw in Iran, a key crude supplier, and other nations.
“The risks of an escalation have risen on the back of the latest news reports regarding the hospital bombing,” said Jane Foley, head of foreign-exchange strategy at Rabobank. While there have been few signs of panic, “on any clear escalation, we can expect to see a ratcheting up of risk aversion,” she said.
Treasury yields and the dollar edged higher, with traders also awaiting comments from some Federal Reserve speakers and the central bank’s Beige Book for clues on the outlook for monetary policy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to speak at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday.
There’s been a lot of investor anxiety on whether upside economic surprises could lead the Fed to tighten further, according to Krishna Guha at Evercore.
However, we think Powell will stick to the message delivered by Vice-Chair Philip Jefferson that the data has been strong, “but there has also been a big move in yields, which has tightened financial conditions, so no urgency for a policy response in November and the Fed can adopt a wait-and-see approach,” Guha added.
Corporate Highlights
- Nasdaq Inc. reported sales that beat expectations after the initial public offering market picked up last quarter.
- U.S. Bancorp said profit fell in the third quarter as the biggest US regional lender increased its provisions for credit losses.
- Interactive Brokers Group Inc. tempered its guidance for accounts growth.
- Ally Financial Inc. posted third-quarter profit that beat analyst estimates even as consumers struggled to make loan payments.
- ASML Holding NV orders plunged in the third quarter amid a sector-wide slump in the semiconductor industry that has left the company increasingly reliant on revenue from China.
- Abbott Laboratories narrowed its annual profit forecast as it beat estimates for quarterly results, citing growth in medical devices for heart disease and diabetes.
- Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. restructured key supplier contracts with its biggest customer, Boeing Co., to stem the aircraft-parts maker’s deteriorating financial performance, speed production and improve build quality.
Key events this week:
- Australia unemployment, Thursday
- Japan trade, Thursday
- China property prices, Thursday
- US initial jobless claims, existing home sales, leading index, Thursday
- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan speak at different events, Thursday
- Japan CPI, Friday
- China loan prime rates, Friday
- Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker speaks, Friday
Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
- The S&P 500 fell 0.4% as of 9:37 a.m. New York time
- The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5%
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%
- The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.8%
- The MSCI World index fell 0.5%
Currencies
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
- The euro fell 0.2% to $1.0555
- The British pound was little changed at $1.2174
- The Japanese yen was little changed at 149.73 per dollar
Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin fell 0.3% to $28,362.09
- Ether rose 1% to $1,575.71
Bonds
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced four basis points to 4.87%
- Germany’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 2.91%
- Britain’s 10-year yield advanced 11 basis points to 4.62%
Commodities
- West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.3% to $87.76 a barrel
- Gold futures rose 1.6% to $1,966.80 an ounce
This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
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