Stocks steady, dollar up; investors look ahead to CPI

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., February 6, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Global stock indexes were nearly flat and the U.S. dollar edged up on Monday ahead of this week’s U.S. consumer price index report, which could provide clues on when the Federal Reserve is likely to begin cutting interest rates.

Bitcoin hit the $50,000 level for the first time in more than two years. Bitcoin was last up 4.3% at $49,610, while ether was up 4.12% at $2,607.57. Crypto stocks also were higher; Coinbase Global was up 3.3%.

The S&P 500 was down slightly in afternoon trading after hitting a fresh intraday record high earlier. Last week the S&P 500 finished above 5,000 points for the first time ever. An MSCI world stock index was flat after touching its highest level since January 2022.

FILE PHOTO: The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Staff/ FILE PHOTO

The January consumer price index report is due Tuesday, while the U.S. producer prices report is due later in the week. Investors are also eager to see Thursday’s U.S. retail sales report for January.

Expectations of a Fed rate cut at its next meeting have fallen as some recent data has suggested the economy remains robust.

Markets are pricing in an 84.5% chance of rates remaining unchanged in March. Also, the odds for at least a 25-basis-point rate reduction in May have dropped to 61%, from over 95% at the start of 2024, as per the CME FedWatch Tool.

“Soft CPI and soft retail sales should help boost the Fed’s confidence that inflation is coming back to its target,” said Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex in New York.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 120.02 points, or 0.31%, to 38,791.71, the S&P 500 lost 2.42 points, or 0.05%, to 5,024.19 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 35.74 points, or 0.22%, to 15,954.92.

The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 49 nations, gained 0.04%, while European stocks were up 0.5%.

Markets in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia were closed for holidays.

Mainland China’s financial markets are closed for the Lunar New Year holiday and will resume trade on Monday, Feb. 19. Hong Kong trade will resume on Feb. 14.

Investors have also reduced their expectations for rate cuts by the European Central Bank, after two policymakers said last week that the ECB needs more evidence that inflation is easing before it can cut rates.

The dollar rose 0.05% against the yen to 149.37, while the euro was down 0.1% on the day at $1.077. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies of other major trading partners, was up at 104.14.

The euro fell from a 10-day high touched in early trading. Data due Wednesday on the euro zone’s fourth-quarter economic growth could give fresh direction for the euro.

The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes fell to 4.1676% compared with its U.S. close of 4.187% on Friday.

Oil futures ended mixed near flat. Concerns about interest rates and global demand caused the market to take a break after prices jumped about 6% last week.

U.S. crude rose 8 cents to $76.92 a barrel. Brent crude fell 19 cents to $82.

Spot gold prices fell 0.3%.

(Additional reporting by Herbert Lash in New York; and Elizabeth Howcroft in London, editing by Ed Osmond, William Maclean and Cynthia Osterman)