Stocks Rebound After Volatile Week as Dollar Slips: Markets Wrap

• March 28 2018
• Brendan Walsh, Sarah Ponczek

U.S. stocks climbed as equity markets moved toward the end of a tumultuous quarter on a high note. Treasuries rose while the dollar slipped.

U.S. stocks climbed as equity markets moved toward the end of a tumultuous quarter on a high note. Treasuries rose while the dollar slipped.

Gains in the S&P 500 Index were led by energy companies and technology shares, helped by a recovery in Amazon.com Inc. after a White House spokeswoman said Donald Trump isn’t planning to take action against the company after he accused it of not paying taxes. Ten-year Treasury yields fell below 2.75 percent after data showed U.S. consumer spending lagged behind income growth for a second month in February.

Volumes were subdued ahead of a long weekend. Both the benchmark index for global stocks and the S&P 500 are set to end the quarter down less than 2 percent. The dollar was poised for its fifth straight quarterly decline, and oil for its third consecutive quarterly gain.

The arrival of the holiday will be a relief for many investors following a roller coaster start to the year in which stellar global equity gains gave way to a volatility blowup in February and a technology-led rout in recent days. Most Western markets are set to close on Friday and many European countries are also out on Monday.

“Let’s get out of this quarter and take a breather,” said Rich Guerrini, the chief executive officer of PNC Investments. “We need some market stability at this point and hopefully we get to some calmer waters.”

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose for a third day, with automakers leading the way after Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. were said to be in talks to merge. Stocks were mixed in Asia.
Elsewhere, West Texas oil rallied toward $65 a barrel. Gold fluctuated after Wednesday’s plunge, and bitcoin fell past $7,500.

Terminal users can read more in our markets live blog.

These are the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The S&P 500 rose 1.4 percent at 2:05 p.m. in New York.
• The Nasdaq 100 Index rose 2 percent.
• The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.4 percent.
• The MSCI All-Country World Index climbed 0.9 percent.
• The MSCI Emerging Market Index advanced 0.8 percent.

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index declined 0.2 percent.
• The euro fell 0.1 percent to $1.2297.
• The British pound decreased 0.3 percent to $1.4033.
• The Japanese yen advanced 0.4 percent to 106.43 per dollar.

Bonds

• The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined four basis points to 2.74 percent, the lowest in more than seven weeks.
• Germany’s 10-year yield fell one basis point to 0.49 percent.
• Britain’s 10-year yield slipped one basis point to 1.35 percent, the lowest in more than two months.

Commodities

• West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.1 percent to $65.11 a barrel.
• Copper gained 0.9 percent to $3.0275 a pound, the highest in more a week.
• Gold dipped 0.1 percent to $1,323.37 an ounce.

— With assistance by Blaise Robinson, Adam Haigh, Samuel Potter, Natasha Doff, and Chris Anstey