U.S. Stocks Poised to Open Lower as Oil Slides
Stocks and bonds have been volatile as investors focus intensely on central bank actions
By CHRISTOPHER WHITTALL
Updated Sept. 13, 2016 7:59 a.m. ET
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U.S. stocks were poised to open lower Tuesday, despite gains in Europe and Asia, as oil prices declined and volatility returned to the market.
U.S. futures pointed to a 0.7% opening loss for the S&P 500, which notched its largest gain on Monday since early July. The Stoxx Europe 600 was little changed after falling for three consecutive sessions, as losses in energy stocks weighed on the broader market amid weaker oil prices.
Brent crude oil declined 2% to $47.39 a barrel after the International Energy Agency slashed its forecast for global oil demand this year amid “wobbling” Asian demand.
Global stocks and government bonds have been volatile in recent sessions as investors have focused intensely on central bank actions.
Expectations that interest rates would remain lower for longer have helped fuel a rally in a broad range of financial assets in recent months, from U.S. stocks to emerging-market bonds.
Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Monday that caution by the Fed over a rate rise had served the country well. ENLARGE
Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Monday that caution by the Fed over a rate rise had served the country well. PHOTO: REUTERS
Speculation that the Federal Reserve could raise rates as soon as next week sparked a sharp selloff in stocks and government bonds on Friday, but those concerns appeared to abate after three Fed officials said on Monday there is no hurry to move.
Even so, many investors say markets could remain choppy in the coming months, particularly with U.S. stocks near record highs.
“Markets will still have to climb a wall of worry,” said Vincent Juvyns, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Mr. Juvyns highlighted a number of uncertainties including the U.S. presidential elections in November, a likely rate rise before year-end, the U.K. starting formal negotiations to leave the European Union and hopes for a transition from monetary policy to fiscal policy underpinning global growth.
“The room for disappointment is there…and support for markets will need to come from [improving company] earnings,” he said.
Falls in energy stocks kept a lid on gains in European markets Tuesday. The oil and gas subindex of the Stoxx Europe 600 was down 1.2% amid the fall in energy prices, but remains up 7% this year.
James de Bunsen, a fund manager on the multiasset team at Henderson Global Investors, said some investors may take profits on energy stocks on bad news, but added oil prices are unlikely to see the kind of lurch lower that hurt equity and debt markets at the start of the year.
“I don’t think we’ll revisit the lows. I think the market is closer to some kind of equilibrium,” he said.
Instead, monetary policy looks like it will remain at the forefront of investors’ minds in the coming months.
Gold, which tends to gain when expectations of rate rises recede, was up 0.3% at $1,329 an ounce.
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell slightly to 1.656%, according to Tradeweb, as prices rose amid a broad rally in government bonds that saw German 10-year yields fell to just above zero.
Developed-world government debt had sold off following the European Central Bank’s meeting on Thursday, as investors reassessed the outlook for global central bank stimulus.
Monetary policy is “still absolutely key,” said Mr. de Bunsen. “Investors have been…driven by what central banks have done. They have provided that sort of backstop” for financial markets.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average ended 0.3% higher following its largest decline since early August. The Shanghai Composite Index edged higher, while Australia’s S&P ASX 200 closed 0.2% lower to record its fourth consecutive session of losses.
In foreign-exchange markets, the WSJ Dollar Index, which measures the U.S. currency against a basket of others, was 0.2% higher Tuesday, clawing back some of Monday’s losses.
The euro slipped slightly against the dollar to $1.1238, while the dollar was up 0.3% against the yen at ¥102.2010.
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