Australian stock markets are poised for a positive showing today, reflecting global sentiment following the Federal Reserve's softening on rates.
Market indicators are all looking good – ASX futures are up by 43 points or 0.6% to 7441, while the Australian dollar has strengthened, now trading at 66.98 US cents.
In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin has seen a slight increase of 0.4% to US$43,031.
Buoyant Wall Street
While the wave of optimism initiated by the Fed had started to ease by the end of the trading day on Wall Street, the overall market mood was buoyant.
The Dow Jones reached a record high, closing up by 0.4% at 37,248 points. The Nasdaq saw a modest increase of 0.2%, the S&P 500 rose 0.26% and the Russell 2000 Index, which tracks small-cap stocks, continued its impressive rally, gaining another 2.6%.
Global equities have been on the rise, buoyed by the Fed's pivot to reverse some of the steepest rate hikes seen in a generation. This positive trend was reinforced by recent US retail sales data and unemployment figures, which suggest a stabilising economy.
Watch for a correction
Despite the robust performance of stocks and an absence of significant corrections recently, some observers point to a likely slowdown in the bullish momentum in coming weeks, noting the recent lack of 1% pullbacks in the S&P 500 since late October.
US Treasuries also experienced fluctuations, with yields briefly dipping below 4% on the 10-year note. This movement in the bond market came amid a broader recalibration in global financial markets.
Looking ahead, the National Australia Bank is set to hold its Annual General Meeting, which will be a key event for market watchers.
Currencies and commodities
In the commodities market, there was a noticeable upswing across various commodities as the US dollar weakened against major currencies, including the Australian dollar. This trend was evident in the rising prices of oil, gold, copper, iron ore, natural gas, and palladium.
The Aussie dollar saw a slight dip against the US dollar, moving from US67.25 cents to US66.82 cents, and was near US67.00 cents at the US close. The Euro was up against the US dollar, rising from US$1.0878 to US$1.1007 and settling near US$1.0990 at the US close. The yen showed a slight weakening, moving from 141.25 yen per US dollar to JPY142.26 and was near JPY141.85 at the US close.
Global oil prices increased by 3% due to a weaker US dollar and an upgraded demand forecast by the International Energy Agency.
Brent crude price rose by US$2.35 or 3.2% to US$76.61 a barrel, and the US Nymex crude price added US$2.11 or 3% to $71.58 a barrel.
The gold futures price surged by US$47.60 or 2.4% to US$2,044.90 an ounce, influenced by the US Federal Reserve's dovish stance and a dip in US Treasury yields. Spot gold was trading near US$2,035 an ounce at the US close.
Iron ore futures saw a modest increase, gaining US19 cents or 0.1% to US$135.22 a tonne.
Copper futures advanced by 2.7%, the biggest lift since January, driven by expectations of US interest rate cuts next year, which would potentially boost economic growth and metals demand. Aluminium futures gained 2.9%.