*
Stocks get lift from Fed easing expectations
*
Traders await payrolls benchmark revision
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Markets unrattled by France political upheaval
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Investors weigh 50bp cut, look to U.S. CPI, PPI releases
for
clues
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Political turmoil in many countries complicates outlook
for FX
bond markets
By Rae Wee and Lucy Raitano
SINGAPORE/LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Global stocks and
the dollar steadied on Tuesday ahead of a key revision to U.S.
payrolls numbers that could help shape investor thinking about
the likely course of Federal Reserve policy, while gold hit a
new record high.
Elsewhere, European markets brushed off French political
uncertainty after the government's collapse on Monday.
S&P futures ticked 0.1% higher and Nasdaq futures
rose 0.2%, which would see the tech-focused index
surpass a record high scaled in the previous session.
Europe's STOXX 600 index was up 0.1% after Asian
shares earlier added 1%. French blue chips
were up 0.2% and earlier rose as much as 0.7% while the
country's government bonds were steady.
Breathing new life into the equities rally were expectations
that the Fed will cut rates when it meets next week, following
Friday's weak U.S. jobs report.
While consumer and producer price inflation data are due in
the week ahead, investors are betting that a 25-basis-point cut
this month is a done deal, with focus now on whether the Fed
could deliver a larger 50-bp move.
The U.S. Labor Department will report a preliminary revision
estimate to the employment level for the 12 months through March
later in the day.
"They are likely to cut anywhere between half a million and
750,000 jobs off the payrolls count for the 12 months to March,
if you get a figure like that it's only going to spur that
dovish repricing a little bit further," said Pepperstone's
Brown.
Markets are now pricing in an over 11% chance the Fed could
lower rates by 50bp this month, compared to zero a week ago,
according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Spot gold earlier touched a fresh record high of
$3,659.1 an ounce, buoyed by expectations of imminent Fed cuts.
POLITICAL TURMOIL
Renewed uncertainty over the political landscape across
various economies has rattled currency and bond markets in the
past few sessions.
French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking his fifth prime
minister in less than two years after opposition parties united
to kick out centre-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou over his
unpopular plans for budget tightening.
Bayrou, handed a 364-194 defeat in a parliamentary
confidence vote on Monday, will officially offer his resignation
to Macron on Tuesday.
The government's collapse was already largely priced in, and
Macron has so far ruled out calls for a snap parliamentary or
presidential election, which the far-right National Rally has
called for.
"If we were to avoid elections, clearly that would be more
of a market positive than the alternative, though it doesn't do
much to alter the rather perilous fiscal trajectory that France
remains on," said Michael Brown, senior research strategist at
Pepperstone.
"It does remove a little bit of risk in the short-term,
which is why markets are by and large shrugging all of that off
this morning."
French 10-year bonds came under modest pressure, pushing
yields up around 1.2 basis points to 3.4845%, broadly in line
with the rest of the government debt market.
"The tail risk is having a new presidential election before
2027 and a prime minister whose policies are not well received
by financial markets," said Kevin Thozet, investment committee
member at Carmignac.
"Markets are saying the probability of this happening is
very low, so no reason to panic."
The euro hit a more than six-week high of $1.1756
and was last 0.1% lower on the day.
Along with upheaval in France, investors are also mulling
Ishiba's resignation in Japan, a heavy election defeat for
Argentina President Javier Milei's ruling party in local
elections and the abrupt replacement of Indonesia's finance
minister.
Still, losses across currencies were capped by a broadly
weaker dollar, while most bond markets have since largely held
steady.
The yen was last 0.6% stronger at 146.6 per
dollar, clawing back its losses from the previous session.
The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically
reflects near-term rate expectations, rose 1.8 bps to 3.513%.
The benchmark 10-year yield rose 2 bps but was
still near a five-month trough, last at 4.0684%.
In commodities, oil prices gained on Tuesday after OPEC+
decided to increase production by less than what market
participants had anticipated.
Brent crude futures were up 0.9% at $66.58 per
barrel.