U.S. Stocks Rise as Investors Watch Central Banks
U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, but moves in global markets were muted as looming decisions from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan kept many investors on the sidelines.
Yields on U.S. government bonds fell ahead of Wednesday, when meetings of both central banks conclude.
“No one wants to be on the wrong side of any rate cuts or rate hikes if they happen,” said Mohit Bajaj, director of exchange-traded funds trading solutions at WallachBeth Capital, adding that volumes were light for U.S. stocks on Tuesday. “People are sitting on their hands waiting for things to play out.”
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 54 points, or 0.3%, to 18174. The S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.2%.
Shares of health care companies were some of the best performers Tuesday, boosted by biotechnology shares. Biotech slumped earlier this year, but recently the group has rebounded.
The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index is up 15% since the end of June, though it remains down 12% in 2016. On Tuesday, the biotech index gained 1.5%, lifted by news in the group.
Allergan PLC said Tuesday it agreed to acquire biopharmaceutical company Tobira Therapeutics at a significant premium to Tobira’s current share price. Shares of Tobira, which develops therapies for liver diseases, surged more than 700%.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also granted accelerated approval to Sarepta Therapeutics ’ Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, driving Sarepta shares up 13%.
Energy stocks also rose as the price of U.S.-traded oil ticked higher. U.S. crude oil rose 0.7% to $44.15 a barrel, adding to Monday’s gains.
The Fed is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged, but investors are watching to see if officials signal a rate rise in December. Fed funds futures, used to bet on central-bank policy, currently price just a 15% probability of a rate rise in September, but a more than 50% chance of a move by year-end, according to data from CME Group .
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note was recently at 1.670%, according to Tradeweb, compared with 1.698% Monday. The WSJ Dollar Index, which measures the dollar against a basket of 16 currencies, was flat.
Expectations for the Bank of Japan are more mixed ahead of the bank’s comprehensive assessment of its expansive stimulus program. Investors are split on whether the bank will cut its rates further into negative territory, alter its bond purchases or signal a meaningful shift in monetary policy going forward.
Some board members are also considering whether they can push up yields on debt with a term of 20 years or longer, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
With hundreds of billions of dollars in assets purchased annually and still no inflation, “I’ll be interested to see what rabbit they pull out of a hat,” said Kully Samra, managing director at Charles Schwab .
The Bank of Japan’s balance sheet is now equivalent to roughly 90% of Japanese GDP, compared with 35% of the eurozone for the European Central Bank and 24% of the U.S. for the Federal Reserve, he said.
The dollar has fallen roughly 15% against the yen so far this year, with the dollar recently little changed at ¥101.7210. Analysts said the bank would have to both announce surprising new easing measures and lift inflation expectations to materially weaken the Japanese currency.
Meanwhile, bond yields have risen sharply in recent sessions in response to speculation around what the bank will do, sparking volatility in stocks and currencies.
“This seems to be the beginning of a pivot from monetary policy to fiscal policy, which is normally bond-negative,” said Guy Monson, chief investment officer of Sarasin & Partners. Still, “we’re not at the point of a radical change in policy—central banks aren't pressing the brakes yet [on stimulus], they’re just pressing the accelerator less hard,” he said.
The Stoxx Europe 600 declined 0.1%, following a quiet session in Asia.
Asian shares mostly closed with small losses. Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average dipped 0.2% even as bank shares rose, with shares of insurers and real-estate stocks slipping.
Australian stocks edged up around 0.2% after the Reserve Bank of Australia suggested it would keep interest rates on hold, possibly until next year, to support growth.
In other currencies, the pound slumped 0.6% to $1.2969 amid concerns about the terms of Britain’s negotiations with the European Union.
Write to Riva Gold at
riva.gold@wsj.com and Corrie Driebusch at
corrie.driebusch@wsj.com