Global equities declined and U.S. Treasury yields rose on Monday as investors paused after a five-session rally and looked ahead to key economic data that could shape expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
U.S. Market Performance:
Wall Street ended lower, led by declines in utilities, healthcare, and industrials. Energy stocks gained as oil prices rose.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: Fell 0.90%
- S&P 500: Slipped 0.53%
- Nasdaq Composite: Dropped 0.38%
Global Markets:
- The pan-European STOXX 600 declined 0.20%, weighed down by defense stocks.
- The MSCI World Equity Index fell 0.40%, ending a five-day winning streak.
Treasury Yields and Dollar:
- The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose 7.3 basis points to 4.092%.
- The 2-year yield increased 4.3 basis points to 3.535%.
- The U.S. dollar index was little changed, while the Japanese yen strengthened 0.47% after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled a potential rate hike at the next meeting.
Key Drivers and Sentiment:
- U.S. Manufacturing Data: The sector contracted for the ninth consecutive month in November, weighed down by import tariffs.
- Fed Watch: Attention turns to upcoming Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data and the Fed’s policy meeting on December 9–10.
- Market Commentary: “The modest pullback today would not be unexpected, but it's more of a pressure release valve following the rally than a sign of stress,” said Mark Hackett of Nationwide.
Commodities and Crypto:
- Brent crude settled more than 1% higher.
- Gold touched a six-week high, up 0.22%, on rate cut expectations.
- Bitcoin extended losses, falling 5.49% to $86,172.03, pressuring crypto-related stocks.
Outlook:
The pullback reflects profit-taking and position adjustments as markets assess the timing and extent of potential Fed easing.