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GLOBAL MARKETS-Oil surges to 1 1/2-year high, Fed rate increase looms

Published 12/12/2016, 09:07 pm
Updated 12/12/2016, 09:10 pm
© Reuters.  GLOBAL MARKETS-Oil surges to 1 1/2-year high, Fed rate increase looms
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* Oil soars 5 percent as producers agree output cut

* Bonds sell off, U.S. yield tops 2.5 percent as curve steepens

* Dollar rises against yen, rouble gains on oil spike

* China shares' loss biggest in six months, gold at 10-month low

* Graphic: World FX rates in 2016 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

By Marc Jones

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Oil prices surged to their highest since mid 2015 and U.S. Treasury yields hit a more than two-year peak on Monday after the world's top crude producers agreed to cut output.

Coming at the start of a week when the United States is expected to raise interest rates for the only the second time since the global financial crisis, the weekend agreement between Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and key non-OPEC states set the markets alive oil futures LCOc1 soared more than 5 percent to top $57 a barrel for the first time since July 2015 and U.S. crude CLc1 leapt above $54 a barrel to send global inflation gauges spiking as well GVD/EUR

There was particular surprise as Saudi Arabia, the world's number one producer, said it may cut its output even more than it had first suggested at an OPEC meeting just over a week ago. original OPEC deal pointed to a fairly lumpy 3 percent cut (in production), so this suggests there is a bit more upside for oil prices," said Neil Williams, chief economist at fund manager Hermes.

On the rise in bond yields, which tend to set global borrowing costs, he added: "The Fed hike is mostly baked in so when we do get it, it will be more about the statement."

European oil companies .SXEP jumped more than 2 percent on the oil surge and helped the pan-regional STOXX50 index .STOXX50 add 0.2 percent, having just had its best week in exactly five years .EU .

Bond markets in contrast were under heavy pressure. Euro zone government bond yields opened sharply higher with German Bunds up 5 basis points at 0.40 percent DE10YT=TWEB as U.S. yields topped 2.5 percent US10YT=RR for the first time since October 2014.

"We have seen OPEC and non-OPEC producers agreeing, which is boosting reflation expectations around the world," said Chris Weston, an institutional dealer with IG Markets.

In another sign of the reflation trade, breakeven rates --the gap between yields of five-year U.S. debt and a matching tenor in inflation-protected securities USBEI5Y=RR -- were at two-month highs.

FED UP

Focus was also on the currency markets as the dollar rose to its highest since February against the Japanese yen JPY= , before what is almost certain to be the first rate hike of the year from the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday. FRX/

Japan's yen also tends to suffer when oil prices rise, since the country is a major importer.

The Norwegian crown NOK= , Canadian dollar CAD= and Russia rouble RUB= were the big gainers from the oil deal. The rouble rose almost 2 percent against both the dollar and euro.

Overnight in Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS dropped 0.5 percent after posting its biggest weekly rise in nearly three months last week.

China stocks suffered their biggest fall in six months as blue chips were knocked by fresh regulatory curbs to rein in insurers' aggressive stock investments and rising bond yields prompted profit-taking in equities.

The blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 fell 2.4 percent, to 3,409.18 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC lost 2.5 percent to 3,152.97 points.

China's insurance regulator, which recently warned it would curb "barbaric" acquisitions by insurers, said late on Friday it had suspended the insurance arm of China's Evergrande Group 3333.HK from conducting stock market investment.

Emerging markets are already bracing for a difficult run if U.S. rate hikes push up the dollar and global bond yields.

Turkey's lira has borne the brunt of much of the pressure in recent weeks, and it took another 1 percent TRY= hit alongside Turkish bonds after data showed the country's economy suffering its first contraction since 2009 meanwhile, which had a bumper first half of 2016, hit its lowest level since early February at $1,152 an ounce XAU= . GOL/

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ World FX rates in 2016

http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

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