NEW YORK: World stock indexes fell on Thursday as technology shares extended their recent selloff, while the prospect of tighter monetary policy in the United States and Britain pushed up the dollar.
High global inventories and doubts about OPEC's ability to implement agreed production cuts pressured oil prices.
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates, as widely expected, and signaled another hike could follow this year. Its statement and comments by Fed Chair Janet Yellen afterward prompted some investor concerns the central bank's tone was hawkish. "When you look at the economic data, it really doesn't point to an aggressive Fed. But you listen to the comments yesterday, and they're still on the aggressive side as far as raising rates," said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management in Chicago.
In a sign that the squeeze on consumers may get tighter before long, three Bank of England policymakers voted to raise rates against five for keeping rates on hold. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 7-1 vote in favor of no change.
The recent selloff in tech shares resulted in part by investors trying to take profits in an area that has led market gains this year and has fueled concern about stretched valuations in the overall market.
The US technology index was down 0.7 percent, leading a broad decline in the S&P 500, pulled down by heavyweights including Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc after bearish research comments. The tech index is down about 4 percent since Thursday's close.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 29.91 points, or 0.14 percent, to 21,344.65, the S&P 500 had lost 8.79 points, or 0.36 percent, to 2,429.13 and the Nasdaq Composite had dropped 46.62 points, or 0.75 percent, to 6,148.28.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended down 0.3 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.9 percent.
The dollar rose to its highest in more than two weeks as solid readings on the US economy helped strengthen the case for the Fed to continue tightening.
The number of Americans filing unemployment claims fell more than expected last week, suggesting slack in the labor market was shrinking, and the Philadelphia Fed business conditions for June beat expectations after a strong reading in May.
The reports followed weak inflation data on Wednesday.
The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against six major peers, was last up 0.6 percent, and rose as high as 97.557, its highest since May 30.
The stronger-than-expected US economic data also boosted US Treasury yields, with two-year yields touching their highest in three months. But most yields remained depressed after their biggest plunge in a month Wednesday.
US two-year yields hit 1.368 percent, their highest in three months.
Brent crude oil was down 0.3 percent to $46.87 a barrel after hitting its weakest since May 5. US light crude was down 0.6 percent at $44.46.
The stronger dollar weighed on gold, which hit a three-week low. Spot gold fell 0.6 percent to $1,253.09 per ounce.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.