Market Pulse
US close: Stocks end mostly higher as Fed stands pat on rates
US stocks ended mostly higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve stood pat on interest rates as expected, with only the tech-heavy Nasdaq in the red amid heavy losses for Apple.
Bonds: Yields dive despite Fed holding door open to June Fed hike
These were the movements in the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields:.
Fed stays put on interest rates
US central bankers chose to stay put on policy at Wednesday´s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.
Big oil lends its weight to advance in FTSE 100
The Footsie was lifted by gains in the oil majors as crude oil futures hit their best level year-to-date in morning trading and analysts weighed in with positive views on BP´s first quarter financials.
Directors dealings: Rockhopper finance chief picks up some shares
Two top executives and one non-executive director at Rockhopper Exploration, including its finance chief, picked up some shares on the previous day, the company said in a statement.
Commodities: China places new curbs on steel-related futures
Commodities came under pressure following a decision by China´s regulators to curb speculative inflows into the country´s futures exchanges and the release of 'bearish' weekly oil inventory data Stateside.
Europe close: Shares finish higher ahead of Fed announcement
European stocks pulled off a slightly higher close on Wednesday as investors sifted through earnings ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate announcement.
FX round-up: Aussie pummelled following weak inflation numbers
Foreign exchange markets were little changed for the most part ahead of the upcoming policy decisions by the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan, although traders in the Australian dollar were left nursing heavy losses.
US pending home sales rise more quickly than expected in March
A leading indicator of existing home sales in the US increased slightly in March, reaching their highest level since May 2015.
Wednesday broker round-up
BP: Barclays reiterates overweight with a 550p target, Credit Suisse keeps at underperform with a target of 330p, Cannacord stays at buy with a 420p target and Exane BNP Paribas reiterates neutral with a target of 350p.
Apple weighs on Wall Street following earnings report
Wall Street started the session lower as a large drop in Apple´s share price weighed down the main market averages.
Thursday preview: Lloyds reports first quarter interims
Lloyds Banking Group will be in focus on Thursday as it reports its first quarter interims following results from fellow lenders Barclays and Standard Chartered this week.
US open: Stocks slide ahead of Federal Reserve's interest rate decision
US stocks fell on Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision.
US goods deficit drops much more sharply than expected in March
In seasonally adjusted terms, the USA´s deficit in its trading of goods with the rest of the world shrank from -$62. 86bn in February to -$56. 90bn in March, according to an advance estimate from the US Department of Commerce.
Boeing reports weaker profits as commercial jet deliveries slow
Aerospace giant Boeing reported weaker-than-expected profits for the first quarter of its fiscal year as a result of a charge linked to its air-tanker programme and a slowdown in sales of commercial jets, although increased deliveries of military aircraft helped to prop up the top-line.
GlaxoSmithKline first-quarter sales up 11% but profit falls
GlaxoSmithKline posted a rise in first-quarter sales and core earnings per share amid healthy demand for the company’s new drugs.
Tesco slumps as JPMorgan highlights issues
Shares in supermarket chain Tesco were under the cosh on Wednesday as JPMorgan Cazenove issued a downbeat note on the company and downgraded its estimates.
Wednesday newspaper share tips: StanChart, BP
StanChart´s financials for the first quarter of 2016 suggest chief Bill Winters may have managed to staunch the bleeding, or at least that it´s not terminal, The Times´s Tempus said.
Eurozone money supply growth edges higher in March, ECB says
Money supply in the euro area grew at a slightly quicker pace in March, according to the European Central Bank, but not fast enough to quell all economists´ concerns about the flow of credit in the single currency bloc.
Greek stocks drop after EU council president nixes idea of special summit on Greece
A top European Union official called for euro area finance ministers to convene a meeting quickly to discuss the situation in Greece so as to avoid renewed uncertainty.