LONDON: Stocks rallied Wednesday, helped by Ukraine peace hopes and China’s pledge to help stabilise markets after recent routs, ahead of a keenly-awaited US interest rate decision.
Crude prices steadied following Tuesday’s plunge, as the International Energy Agency cut its world oil demand forecast for 2022 but warned that sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine could spark a global supply “shock”.
The Federal Reserve was Wednesday set to raise US interest rates to fight decades-high inflation, with the dollar down against rivals on the widely-expected move.
Ahead of the decision, Hong Kong’s main equities index closed up more than nine percent after China’s official Xinhua news agency said authorities would maintain capital market stability and adopt measures to handle risks for troubled property developers.
The news lit a fire under the Hang Seng Index, where mainland Chinese tech firms had been reeling from a sell-off this year fuelled by a government crackdown on the sector and fears about possible US sanctions if China were to help Russia in its war with Ukraine.
The decision to lock down the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen to fight Covid-19 had compounded the crisis for the sector.
“China’s state economic policy apparatus is taking significant coordinated steps to support risk sentiment,” said Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management.
“These include… support for overseas listings, engaging with the US on (New York-listed stocks), and perhaps most importantly, suggesting that regulation of its big tech firms will end soon.”
The Hang Seng Tech Index soared by a record of more than 20 percent.
Eurozone equity indices were up more than three percent around the half-way stage.
European stocks surge on bargain hunting
Elsewhere, oil prices steadied after slumping under $100 per barrel Tuesday.
Fresh Covid lockdowns in China have triggered demand concerns for the world’s biggest importer of the commodity.
Hopes for an Iran nuclear deal – which could see the country restart oil exports – have additionally weighed on prices, as have signs that Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks are slowly progressing.
Trading in nickel resumed Wednesday on the London Metal Exchange after a lengthy pause linked to the Ukraine crisis but was quickly suspended again after a sharp fall.
Nickel stopped trading, having swiftly breached a new five-percent daily price movement limit to stand at $43,995 per tonne on the LME.
Moscow’s invasion sparked market chaos last week owing to supply concerns in Russia, the world’s third biggest producer of nickel – a metal used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries.
Key figures around 1200 GMT
London - FTSE 100: UP 1.3 percent at 7,265.81 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 3.3 percent at 14,379.30
Paris - CAC 40: UP 3.7 percent at 6,587.81
EURO STOXX 50: UP 3.8 percent at 3,881.22
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 9.1 percent at 20,087.50 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.6 percent at 25,762.01 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 3.5 percent at 3,170.71
New York - DOW: UP 1.8 percent at 33,544.34 (close)
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.1 percent at $100.02 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $95.92 per barrel
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1019 from $1.0951 late Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3102 from $1.3036
Euro/pound: UP at 84.10 pence from 83.92 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 118.20 yen from 118.33 yen
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