Stan Choe
Oil prices are falling again, which is helping to ease worries in the bond market and support stock prices.
The S&P 500 rose 0.2 per cent and edged a bit closer to its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 107 points, or 0.2 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4 per cent higher.
The Australian sharemarket is set to rise, with futures at 5.06am AEST pointing to a rise of 29 points, or 0.3 per cent, at the open. The ASX added 0.7 per cent on Tuesday. Reporting season continues with Nine Entertainment, WiseTech and Woolworths results due out. The Australian dollar was trading at US71.61¢.
Some of the strongest action was in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude fell 3.9 per cent to $US87.05 and was heading for a second decline following 13 gains in 14 days. The drop came even though tensions between the United States and Iran seemed to ratchet higher after the Trump administration announced new sanctions to further hurt Iran’s economy.
Brent’s price zigzagged between $US72 and $US102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach a deal that would allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again.
A delegation from Pakistan left Iran after talks with Iran’s president and other senior officials on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving negotiations to end the Iran-US conflict, the Pakistani military said. Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had been “very positive and productive.”
Tuesday’s drop in oil prices tempered the worries about high inflation that helped drive Treasury yields in the bond market higher through the summer. Yields had gotten so high that the US Treasury Department announced a surprise move last week to increase its repurchases of longer-term Treasury notes and bonds.
High yields make borrowing more expensive for everyone and can slow the economy’s growth while undercutting prices for stocks, cryptocurrencies and other investments.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.64 per cent from 4.70 per cent late Monday and from 4.74 per cent at the end of last week. That’s a significant move for the bond market, though the 10-year yield remains firmly above its 3.97 per cent level from before the war with Iran sent oil prices and worries about inflation much higher.
Canada announced it is targeting more than 700 US-made products as the trade war with America escalates. The list extends well beyond industrial goods, hitting everyday purchases such as seafood, cheese, clothing, cosmetics and toilet paper, with some facing duties as high as 50 per cent.
The tariffs on American steel, dairy products, appliances, farm equipment, pulp and paper and electronics take effect September 8 at rates of 15 per cent, 25 per cent and 50 per cent, with Canada matching the corresponding US tariff rate on each product. Canadian officials said the goal is not to raise revenue but to protect Canadian companies and reduce US imports.
On Wall Street, Nvidia and other winners of the boom in artificial-intelligence technology helped lead the way. Nvidia rose 1.8 per cent, a day after its drop of 2.9 per cent was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500.
AI stocks have veered up and down through the summer on worries that their prices shot too high and that the AI boom may not be sustainable if it doesn’t produce enough profits for companies. Nvidia will report its latest quarterly results on Wednesday, which could help steer the next move for AI-related stocks.
The gains for chip stocks helped offset a 30.1 per cent drop for Dick’s Sporting Goods, which reported weaker results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Executive Chairman Ed Stack said the retailer cut prices on some of its footwear and apparel to remain competitive, while launches for some footwear during the quarter ended up being weaker than it expected.
The company cut its forecast for an underlying measure of profit in 2026 for both its Dick’s and Foot Locker businesses. The company spent $US2.4 billion last year to acquire the struggling Foot Locker chain as inventory in footwear began to pile up for most retailers. Dick’s stock is potentially heading toward its worst day in history.
Worries have been rising about how strong spending can remain generally for U.S. households, which is the main engine of the economy. They’re facing higher prices on everything from food to clothes and a job market that suddenly looks iffier after employers cut more jobs last month than they added.
A report from the Conference Board on Tuesday said that confidence among U.S. consumers weakened by more than economists expected.
In stock markets around the world, many indexes drifted modestly higher. South Korea’s Kospi, which is dominated by two AI winners, added 0.7 per cent for one of the world’s biggest moves. It’s been steadying since plunging 22.2 per cent in July.
AP
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