Global Stocks Mostly Steady
Investors digest economic data, weigh chances of central bank easing
By RIVA GOLD
Updated Aug. 1, 2016 7:16 a.m. ET
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Global stock markets were mostly steady Monday after closing out July with solid gains, with investors now weighing weak economic data against the prospect of easy monetary policy.
Futures pointed to a 0.1% opening gain for the S&P 500, following modest advances in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.
“We’re still talking about central bank stimulus, in the wake of last week,” said Ian Williams, strategist at brokerage Peel Hunt.
Friday’s weaker-than-expected U.S. GDP report further eroded expectations for an interest rate rise this year from the Federal Reserve, and that boosted markets in Asia that had closed before the figures were released.
“Unless inflation numbers come in much stronger, there is no real impetus for the Fed to be moving more than the gradual pace they were talking about,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust.
Still, Friday’s weak growth report doesn’t change the story of a consumer-driven recovery, which should support U.S. stock markets this year, he said.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley over the weekend argued for continued caution but said it was too soon to rule out higher rates later this year.
Meanwhile, many investors are expecting the Bank of England to cut interest rates on Thursday and potentially announce additional quantitative easing or “credit easing” measures to help lift the U.K.’s fragile economy.
Data Monday showed British manufacturing activity dropped to its lowest level since 2013, adding to signs the economy has slowed since the U.K.’s vote in June to leave the European Union.
“Companies and households are obviously taking a very cautious view, and uncertainty means investment and purchasing decisions have been deferred,” Mr. Williams said.
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The British pound was last down 0.4% against the dollar at $1.3178.
The eurozone’s manufacturing sector also slowed in July, data confirmed Monday, weighing on the region’s stock markets.
The euro fell 0.1% against the dollar to $1.1168, while the Stoxx Europe 600 gave up early gains to inch down 0.5% late morning.
Banks led losses in Europe after regulators announced the results of stress tests late Friday.
European bank shares rose in the early minutes of trading after most lenders were given a clean bill of health, but those gains were quickly reversed, with the sector last down 2%.
Unlike in previous European stress tests, regulators didn’t include a pass or fail result for each bank, leaving it up to investors and regulators to interpret the results.
Shares of UniCredit, which fared the worst of the “systemically important” banks, were down nearly 8%.
Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays shares shed around 2.5% after the tests exposed ongoing weaknesses at the two lenders. RBS suffered from factoring in potential litigation costs, while Barclays had credit and mark-to-market risk, Bernstein’s Chirantan Barua said
Italy’s oldest bank, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, had the weakest performance of the 51 banks assessed by the European Banking Authority, but had pre-empted the results by announcing a third major recapitalization. Shares were up around 4%.
Earlier, stocks in Hong Kong added 1.1%, while markets in Australia added 0.5% ahead of an interest rate decision from its central bank. Japanese shares rose 0.4% as the yen pulled back from recent gains against the dollar.
The dollar was last up 0.1% against the yen at ¥102.1720, after the yen rose sharply on Friday following the Bank of Japan’s surprisingly moderate monetary easing announcement.
Shanghai stocks fell 0.9% amid a spate of initial public offerings. Data painted a mixed picture of China’s manufacturing sector. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index, which focuses on larger state-owned companies, dipped into negative territory for the first time in five months, while the Caixin manufacturing PMI, which is more geared to smaller private companies, posted a strong rise.
In commodities, Brent crude oil fell 1.2% to $43 a barrel, while gold was steady at $1,356 an ounce.
—Margot Patrick and Mark Magnier contributed to this article.
Write to Riva Gold at riva.gold@wsj.com