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* In the US, JOLTS job openings (vacancies) rose from 11.344 million to 11.549m in March (survey: 11.2m). Factory orders rose by 2.2% in March (survey: +1.1%). Weekly Redbook chain stores sales rose by 15.2% in the past week on a year ago, up from the 12.7% annual gain in the prior week.
* European sharemarkets rose on Tuesday. Latest company earnings figures generally beat market forecasts and higher bond yields boosted shares of bank stocks. Shares in BP rose 5.8% after the energy giant boosted its share buyback programme after net profit soared to its highest in more than a decade. Shares in BNP Paribas rose 5.2% after posting a 19% rise in net income. The panEuropean STOXX 600 index rose by 0.5%. The German Dax rose by 0.7%. The UK sharemarket rose by 0.2%.
* US sharemarkets recorded broad-based gains in volatile trade on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve interest rate decision. The energy sector rose 2.9% and financials rose 1.3%. Shares in Estee Lauder fell by 5.8% after the cosmetics maker cut its full-year profit forecast. Shares in Hilton Worldwide Holdings fell 4% after the hotel operator forecast a bleak full-year profit. After earlier being up 280 points, the Dow Jones index closed higher by 67 points or 0.2%. The S&P 500 index rose by 0.5%. And the Nasdaq index rose by 28 points or 0.2%.
* US long-term treasuries rose on Tuesday (yields lower) as investors covered positions heading into the Federal Reserve rate decision. US 10-year yields fell by 1 point to near 2.98%. But US 2-year yields rose by 5 points to near 2.78%.
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* Major currencies were mixed against the US dollar in European and US trade. The Euro held between US$1.0490 and US$1.0575 and was near US$1.0525 at the US close. The Aussie dollar held between US70.75 cents and US71.25 cents and was near US70.95 cents at the US close. And the Japanese yen held between 129.70 yen per US dollar and JPY130.30 and was near JPY130.15 at the US close.
* Global oil prices fell by around 2.5% on Tuesday. Concerns about weaker oil demand from China weighed on prices, offsetting the prospect of a broader European embargo on Russian crude. Beijing is mass-testing residents to avert a Covid-driven lockdown similar to that seen in Shanghai. The Brent crude price fell by US$2.61 or 2.4% to US$104.97 a barrel. US Nymex crude fell by US$2.76 or 2.6% to US$102.41 a barrel.
* Base metal prices were weaker on Tuesday with prices falling by up to 5.2% (aluminium) while tin lost just 0.2%.
* The gold futures price rose by US$7.00 or 0.4% to US$1,870.60 an ounce. Spot gold was trading near US$1,867 an ounce at the US close. The iron ore futures price fell by US$2.74 or 1.9% to US$143.56 a tonne.
Ahead: In Australia, lending, retail trade and new vehicle sales data are all released. In the US, the ADP employment report is issued with service sector surveys and international trade data. The US
Federal Reserve hands down its interest rate decision.
Originally published by CommSec
