Dollar, global stock markets gain on upbeat US economic outlook
NEW YORK (Reuters) – World stock markets climbed on Monday, lifted by optimism over the outlook for corporate earnings and US President Donald Trump’s tax-reform plan, while the US dollar gained after a manufacturing index rose to its highest level since 2004.
Spanish borrowing costs rose and stocks fell as a violent police crackdown on an independence vote in Catalonia rattled investors. But major European bourses gained on travel stocks and a mining sector helped by higher metals prices.
US manufacturing surged amid strong gains in new orders and raw-material prices, while rebounding construction spending in August bolstered the economic outlook even as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are expected to dent third-quarter growth.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of US factory activity rose to a reading of 60.8 last month, the highest reading since May 2004, from 58.8 in August.
The dollar was last up 0.64% against the euro to $1.1736 and up 0.20% against the yen to 112.70.
The euro was also hurt after the voting in Catalonia fueled anxiety over political risk in the euro zone. Many analysts said the uncertainty could slow Spain’s economic growth, though they expect the crisis to be resolved with an offer of more autonomy.
“It is clear that risks to government stability are increasing,” said Federico Santi, an analyst at Eurasia Group in London, referring to reports of nearly 900 injured in the clashes with police.
The pan-regional FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European companies rose 0.41% to a preliminary close of 1,530.98, and MSCI’s gauge of stock performance in 46 countries gained 0.04%.
On Wall Street, the three key stock indexes ground higher to record intraday highs.
In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 70.6 points, or 0.32%, to 22,475.69, the S&P 500 gained 4.55 points, or 0.18%, to 2,523.91, and the Nasdaq Composite added 14.73 points, or 0.23%, to 6,510.69.
“Investors are trying to get in front of earnings that are expected to be pretty good, and there’s still some optimism over corporate tax relief,” said Rick Meckler, president of hedge fund LibertyView Capital Management LLC in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Third-quarter earnings are expected to increase 6.2% from a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters research. Excluding energy, earnings growth is estimated at 4.3%.
Oil fell more than $1 a barrel to below $56 as a rise in US drilling and higher output from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries halted a rally that helped prices register their biggest third-quarter gain in 13 years.
US energy companies added oil rigs for the first week in seven, and Iraq announced its exports rose slightly in September while OPEC overall boosted output, a Reuters survey showed.
US crude fell $1.42 to $50.25 per barrel, and Brent was last at $55.70, down $1.09 on the day.
Benchmark 10-year US Treasury notes fell 4/32 in price to yield 2.339%.
US gold futures fell 0.62% to $1,276.80 an ounce, while copper rose 0.27% to $6,498.50 a ton.