Investing.com - Australian shares began Friday's trading session on a downward trajectory, mirroring the losses experienced in the New York market. This comes in response to recent US economic data that supports a more cautious approach to interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
Tech giants Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) experienced a downturn, while Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) managed to reach a new record high.
A spike in US Treasury yields was triggered following a report that revealed a 0.6% rise in producer prices for February, doubling economists' prediction of a 0.3% increase. This report, coupled with February’s higher-than-anticipated consumer price data, has fueled concerns about inflation.
The yield on the US 10-year note saw a 10 basis point increase, reaching 4.29%, while the two-year yield jumped to 4.69%. The yield on the 30-year bond stood at 4.43%. Comparatively, the Australian government's 10-year yield closed at 4.05% on Thursday.
The oil market experienced a surge, with prices exceeding $US85 a barrel, while iron ore continued its downward trend, dropping below $US103 a tonne. The International Energy Agency (IEA) revised its growth forecast for 2024, predicting a higher-than-expected rise in global oil demand in the first quarter due to a more optimistic outlook for the United States and increased bunkering.
Lithium miners Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX:LTR) and Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX:SYA) are set to release their results on Friday. Meanwhile, Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX:PLS) reported that it had accepted a pre-auction offer for spodumene concentrate, a semi-processed form of lithium, at $US1200 a tonne.
World's largest lithium producer, Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB), plans to auction some of its metal to bring more transparency to the opaque market. Additionally, Lithium Americas Corp announced a conditional commitment for a $US2.26 billion loan from the US Department of Energy to develop a Nevada lithium deposit, the country's largest.
Ahead in Friday's session, market participants will be closely monitoring US import price index and industrial production data, New York Empire manufacturing for March, and University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment.