Stocks drop with bonds after US yield spike: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — Stocks fell and bonds retreated, tracking a drop in US Treasuries overnight after weak debt auctions and hawkish remarks from a Federal Reserve speaker.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Europe’s Stoxx 600 slipped 0.4% at the open and futures pointed to a similar decline on Wall Street. German 10-year yields neared the highest since November ahead of national inflation data. A selloff in Australian debt deepened after inflation figures topped estimates and Japanese benchmark yields hit their highest since 2011.

Markets are feeling the ripples from a rough US session, after tepid demand for US note sales, resilient consumer confidence data and hawkish central bank talk fueled expectations interest rates will stay higher for longer. In Europe traders will be watching German inflation data this morning, with an important US price growth print in focus at the end of the week.

After jumping nine basis points on Tuesday, 10-year Treasury yields inched higher to 4.57%.

Friday sees the release of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures index. Economists expect the PCE deflator to have risen in April at an annual pace of 2.7%, the same as in March.

“One potential banana skin is that major downside surprises in inflation could now bring in the view that the US economy could not be in as strong shape as previously expected — i.e. ‘bad news is bad news’,” Geoffrey Yu, senior strategist at Bank of New York Mellon.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues have stressed the need for more evidence that inflation is on a sustained path to their 2% goal before cutting the benchmark interest rate.

Oil extended gains as another attack in the Red Sea added to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East ahead of an OPEC+ meeting on the weekend. West Texas Intermediate climbed above $80 a barrel.

Corporate Highlights:

The parent company of Royal Mail has agreed to a £3.6 billion ($4.6 billion) takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, setting the scene for a political battle over the future ownership of Britain’s postal service.
ConocoPhillips is in advanced talks to acquire smaller rival Marathon Oil Corp. which would extend the oil industry’s spree of major deals, the Financial Times reported.
BHP Group is seeking more time to discuss its $49 billion takeover plan with Anglo American Plc and outlined a series of commitments to the smaller company, with just hours left to go until a crucial deadline.

Key events this week: