In Asian Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday as Ukraine peace talks made little headway and the prospect of a ban on oil imports from Russia triggered investor fears over inflation and slowing economic growth. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 0.4 percent in early trade, tracking a bruising Wall Street session. Japan’s Nikkei sank 0.3 percent while Australian shares were down 0.24 percent amid a sea of red across Asian markets. Chinese blue chips shed 0.15 percent while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.39 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar was down on Tuesday morning in Asia, while the euro was stuck near a 22-month low. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to dim Europe’s economic outlook, but a weeks-long rally in commodity currencies showed signs of a pause. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures edged down 0.16 percent to 99.135. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar edged up 0.13 percent to 115.44. The euro remained close to Monday’s low of $1.0806, despite efforts to bounce after six straight sessions of selling. The euro came close to parity on the Swiss franc on Monday, the first time in seven years it has done so.

In US Equity Markets main indexes fell sharply on Monday as the prospect of a ban on oil imports from Russia sent crude prices soaring and fueled concerns about rising inflation. The Dow fell 2.37 percent, to 32,817.38, the S&P 500 lost 2.95 percent, to 4,201.08 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.62 percent, to 12,830.96. Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc fell 15 percent and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings lost 11.6 percent, among a broad downswing in travel and leisure stocks as the jump in oil prices threatened to disrupt a nascent recovery.

In Commodities Markets oil and other commodities prices soared while global shares tanked on Monday as the United States said it was willing to ban Russian oil imports, stoking investor fears over inflation and slowing economic growth. Brent crude futures settled up 4.3 percent at $123.21 a barrel. U.S. crude settled up 3.22 percent at $119.40 a barrel. Spot gold rose 1.3 percent to $1,993.22 per ounce. Spot palladium was down 0.9 percent at $2,976.21 per ounce. Silver fell 0.4 percent to $25.57, while platinum was down 0.5 percent to $1,116.01.

In European Equity Markets stocks ended off session lows on Monday, helped by a 4.3 percent rally in energy stocks as oil prices rose above $130 a barrel, but inflation fears amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict saw German and Italian shares confirm a bear market. The pan-European STOXX 600 index cut losses of around 3 percent to close at a near one-year low, down 1.1 percent. Banking and auto stocks led declines. Shares in UniCredit, Raiffeisen and Societe Generale, among banks exposed to Russia, all fell between 4.2 percent and 5.7 percent.

In Bond Markets the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield edged up on Monday after falling to its lowest level in two months, as surging oil prices due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine stoked concerns about inflation pressures and slowing economic growth. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 3.1 basis points to 1.753 percent after falling to 1.668 percent, its lowest since Jan. 5. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up 0.8 basis points to 2.156 percent. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 3 basis points at 1.520 percent.

User Auto Log Out 3 Hours Register |