financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Trading Day: Banking on oil relief
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Trading Day: Banking on oil relief
Mar 16, 2026 2:36 PM

ORLANDO, Florida, March 16 (Reuters) - Wall Street notched solid gains on Monday led by tech, while the dollar and bond yields fell, as volatile oil prices eventually settled lower on the bet - perhaps more in hope than expectation - that the supply crunch from the Middle East could soon ease.

More on that below. In my column today I look at the historic week in monetary policy now underway, the first week since 2021 that the 'G4' central banks are meeting, and only the second ever. The global rate repricing since war broke out in the Middle East has been aggressive. Too aggressive?

If you have more time to read, here are a few articles I recommend to help you make sense of what happened in markets today.

1. US allies rebuff Trump's request for support in Straitof Hormuz 2. Fed to present an updated outlook looking through thefog of war 3. Trump-Xi meeting not in jeopardy but could be delayed,White House says 4. Nvidia ( NVDA ) CEO Huang sees at least $1 trillion of AI chiprevenue opportunity through 2027 5. Cuba's national electric grid collapses, leavingmillions without powerToday's Key Market Moves

* STOCKS: Asia mixed: South Korea +1.7%, Japan -0.5%.Europe +0.5%, solid gains on Wall Street. S&P 500 +1%, Nasdaq+1.2%. * SECTORS/SHARES: All 11 sectors in the S&P 500 rise. Tech+1.4%, consumer discretionaries +1.3% Meta +2.2%, Nvidia ( NVDA ) +1.6%. * FX: Dollar index -0.6%, biggest fall in a month. Aussie,Kiwi dollars biggest G10 gainers, both +1.4%. Brazil, SouthAfrica, Mexico FX +1.5%, bitcoin +4%. * BONDS: U.S. yields fall as much as 7 bps, curve bullflattens slightly. Fed rate cut by year-end fully priced again. * COMMODITIES/METALS: Oil down 3%-5%, gold flat butplatinum and palladium +4%. Average U.S. gas $3.72/gallon, +27%in past month.Today's Talking Points

* Trump calls on "allies"

Several traditional U.S. allies have said they have no plans to assist the U.S. in trying to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, which would get tankers moving again and help lower the price of oil. A number of countries including Germany, Italy and Spain, have rebuffed President Trump's call for help.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there is no mandate from the UN, EU or NATO, adding that Washington didn't consult Germany before launching the war. Earlier this year, Trump alienated European and NATO allies by threatening to take Greenland. Relations are strained, and cooperation will require a lot more negotiation.

* Dollar and global rate reprice

The dollar had its biggest fall in over a month on Monday, dragged down by sliding Treasury yields and U.S. rates traders moving back to fully pricing in a Fed rate cut by year-end. Its losses against the Aussie and kiwi dollars were particularly large.

Don't be surprised, however, if these dynamics quickly reverse and FX volatility stays elevated this week, as the Fed and seven other G10 central banks meet. First up is the RBA on Tuesday. Even if none or just the RBA changes rates, that's a lot of guidance and signaling for markets to digest.

* U.S.-China ties under spotlight

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng have led 'candid and constructive' talks in Paris, laying out possible 'deliverables' for Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping at their summit in Beijing scheduled for March 31-April 2.

Whether that summit takes place when planned is now in doubt, after Bessent and the White House said it might be postponed if Trump needs to stay in Washington to prosecute the war on Iran. The summit is two weeks away. It could be a very long two weeks.

What could move markets tomorrow?

* Developments in the Middle East * Energy market moves * Australia interest rate decision, Governor MicheleBullock holds press conference * Indonesia interest rate decision * Germany ZEW investor sentiment index (March) * U.S. pending home sales (February) * U.S. Treasury sells $13 billion of 20-year bonds atauction * U.S. Federal Reserve begins two-day policy meetingWant to receive Trading Day in your inbox every weekday morning? Sign up for my newsletter here. 

Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
PRECIOUS-Gold prices fall as Fed projects just one rate cut in 2024
PRECIOUS-Gold prices fall as Fed projects just one rate cut in 2024
Jun 13, 2024
* Gold above $2,300/Oz suggests buyers active in dips - analyst * Gold hitting $3,000/Oz looks out of reach -industry experts * U.S. consumer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in May (Recasts and updates prices as of 0924 GMT) By Harshit Verma June 13 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve projected just one interest rate...
European Union bond yields rise after MSCI index exclusion
European Union bond yields rise after MSCI index exclusion
Jun 13, 2024
June 13 (Reuters) - Yields on bonds issued by the European Union rose on Thursday, underperforming the broader market, after MSCI said it would not include the paper in its government debt indexes. Global index compiler MSCI said on Wednesday it would not include the EU's debt in its government bond indexes following an investor consultation in a setback for...
Morning Bid: Data is king, Fed its servant
Morning Bid: Data is king, Fed its servant
Jun 12, 2024
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Kevin Buckland The verdict from investors appears to be that benign U.S. inflation trumps the Fed's rate outlook, clearing the way for gains in Asian equities, and potentially in Europe too. The initial shock at projections for just one U.S. rate cut this year despite a very tame...
Japan's Nikkei ends lower ahead of BOJ policy decision
Japan's Nikkei ends lower ahead of BOJ policy decision
Jun 13, 2024
(Updates at 0600 GMT) TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Thursday, reversing early gains amid caution around the Bank of Japan's policy decision due Friday. The Nikkei closed 0.4% lower at 38,720.47, after rising nearly 1% to cross the 39,000 level earlier in the session as chip-related stocks tracked their U.S. peers. Of the 225...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved