Renewed unease gripped world markets on Wednesday as news that Credit Suisse’s largest investor said it could not provide the Swiss bank with more financial assistance sent its shares and broader European shares sliding once more.
Signs of calm and stability in banking stocks, that have tanked in the past week, following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), soon paved way for renewed selling as Credit Suisse shares fell to fresh record lows.
European shares were last down almost 2 per cent, European bank stock tumbled 2.5 per cent and U.S. stock futures fell 1 per cent.
Investors rushed back into safe-havens, with two-year German bond yields down 21 basis points at 2.71 per cent.
“The Credit Suisse share price is falling and government bonds are rallying on the back of that. Still very much driven by the perceived health of the banking sector, but this time in Europe,” said Antoine Bouvet, senior rates strategist at ING.
The European Central Bank is still leaning towards a half-percentage-point rate hike on Thursday, despite turmoil in the banking sector, given high inflation, a source close to its Governing Council told Reuters.
Asian equities rose, tracking Tuesday’s relief rally on Wall Street after U.S. inflation data delivered no nasty surprises, reinforcing hopes the Federal Reserve will go for a smaller rate hike when it meets next week.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.9 per cent, having slid 1.7 per cent on Tuesday. Japan’s Nikkei index was flat while an index of Japanese banks, which has slid 8 per cent this week, jumped over 3 per cent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index climbed 1.52 per cent.
But U.S. equity futures fell sharply as European banking stocks tumbled in an ominous sign for the Wall Street open.
Bruised U.S. bank stocks regained some ground on Tuesday aided by news that private equity and buyout giants were looking to scoop up some of SVB’s assets. That left investors hopeful that efforts to shore up confidence would avert a wider financial crisis.
Data on Tuesday showed U.S. consumer prices rose 0.4 per cent, with a year-on-year gain of 6 per cent – in line with analyst expectations. There had been worries that stronger-than-expected data might lead the Fed to go for jumbo-sized hikes to battle inflation.
As recently as last week, markets were braced for the return of large Fed interest rate rises but the swift collapse of SVB has changed those expectations, with markets pricing in an 80 per cent chance of a 25 basis point hike next week.
Also helping boost sentiment was data showing China’s economic activity picked up in the first two months of the year, driven by consumption and infrastructure investment, and signs the beleaguered property sector is starting to recover.
In Europe, where markets had also rapidly dialled back ECB rate-hike bets at the start of the week, traders were betting again on a big increase in euro zone borrowing costs on Thursday.
According to a Reuters report, a source close to the ECB Governing Council said the central bank was unlikely to ditch plans for a big rate move this week because that would damage its credibility.
“The ECB is behind (the U.S. Federal Reserve) in terms of a tightening cycle and has a lot to do,” said Jorge Garayo, senior rates and inflation strategist at Societe Generale.
“Core inflation,” he added, “is still at very, very elevated levels. So we will be very surprised to not see 50 basis points delivered by the ECB.”
Short-term bond yields, which typically move in step with interest rate expectations, were mixed on Wednesday.
Germany’s two-year yield was down 3 bps at 2.89 per cent, having fallen to as low as 2.43 per cent briefly on Tuesday.
The two-year U.S. Treasury yield was up 10 bps at 4.33 per cent, well off Tuesday’s six-month low of 3.83 per cent.
In currency markets, the dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six rivals, was flat at 103.74, with the euro also mostly steady at $1.0735.
Oil prices rebounded more than 1 per cent, coming back from three-month lows the previous session, due to a stronger OPEC outlook on China’s demand. Brent crude futures climbed 1.6 per cent to US$78.68 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) gained 1.6 per cent to US$72.48.
– Reuters
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