Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Thursday, September 21:
1. Global stocks show mixed reaction to Fed announcement
Global equities saw mixed trade on Thursday in reaction to the prior day’s confirmation from the Federal Reserve that it would move forward with plans to reduce its balance sheet and still expected one more rate hike this year.
Though the Dow managed to close a day earlier at another record, U.S. futures pointed to a pause a Wall Street Thursday. At 6:02AM ET (10:02GMT), the blue-chip Dow futures slipped 0.05%, S&P 500 futures inched down 0.08% while the Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.11%.
Elsewhere, European shares traded mostly higher as the region’s banks celebrated higher interest rates that should support profits. At 6:05AM ET (10:05GMT), the European benchmark Euro Stoxx 50 gained 0.54%, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.31%. However, London's FTSE 100 fell 0.24% as miners put pressure on the British index.
Earlier, Asian equity markets closed with mixed signs as the investors digested the news out of the U.S. Japan’s Nikkei ended with gains of 0.2%, though China’s Shanghai Composite closed around 0.2% lower.
2. Dollar at 1-week highs, gold slumps post-Fed
The dollar held near a one-week high on Thursday after the Fed announced its plan to start shrinking its balance sheet and signaled one more rate hike later this year.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, slipped 0.01% at 92.21 by 6:06AM ET (10:06GMT), as investors took prices on the back of the prior day’s 0.9% rise.
Despite Thursday’s dip, the greenback is still on track for gains of more than 1% this week.
Conversely, gold prices tumbled to four-week lows on Thursday, as the Fed indicated plans to move forward with policy tightening.
Comex gold futures were down $16.87 or about 1.28% at $1,299.53 a troy ounce by 6:08AM ET (10:08GMT).
Market participants will look forward to weekly jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index out at 8:30AM ET (12:30GMT).
3. S&P cuts China’s rating on debt concerns
Standard & Poor's cut China's debt rating on Thursday amid concerns that credit is growing too quickly in the world's second-largest economy.
S&P cut the rating one notch to A+, from AA-, and said that the outlook for the new rating was "stable."
“China's prolonged period of strong credit growth has increased its economic and financial risks,” the ratings agency explained.
4. Oil undergoes slight profit-taking ahead of OPEC meeting
Oil prices edged lower on Thursday as investors cashed in on gains of more than 1% so far this week.
Investors looked ahead to a meeting of oil producers that could extend production limits aimed at clearing a glut that has depressed the market for more than three years.
Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers meet in Vienna on Friday and are due to consider extending output cuts that began in January, although some energy ministers have suggested than decision before next March could be premature.
U.S. crude oil futures fell 0.34% to $50.52 at 6:09AM ET (10:09GMT), while Brent oil traded down 0.23% to $56.16.
5. BoJ holds on policy as expected
The Bank of Japan held policy steady as expected after the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Thursday, with an asset buying program focused on the yield curve at ¥80 trillion annually.
The board voted 8 to 1 to keep the yield curve policy in place and the bank raised its estimates of public investment while the vote in asset buying was unanimous.
The lone dissenter said current easing measures were not sufficient to boost inflation.
USD/JPY gained on Thursday, as the dollar was supported by the Fed’s decision to move forward with shrinking its balance sheet and repeated expectations for another rate hike this year. It was last up 0.24% to 112.49 by 6:13AM ET (10:13GMT), pulling off a two-month high of 112.72 hit earlier on Thursday.