Treasuries climb with gold amid Greece debt talks; ruble slips
By Bloomberg
Treasuries rose with gold amid surging global currency volatility as investors await the outcome of talks between Greece and its creditors. Russia’s ruble weakened while crude oil climbed.
The yield on 10-year U.S. bonds fell by two basis points by 8:20 a.m. in London, while rates on similar-maturity notes from Germany, France and the U.K. also fell. Gold climbed 0.2 percent. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fluctuated and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures slipped 0.1 percent. The JPMorgan Global FX Volatility Index was near its highest level in a month as Russia’s ruble retreated. Oil in New York climbed 0.6 percent.
Germany is maintaining Greece must comply with the terms of its bailout heading into a creditors meeting in Brussels, damping speculation that a funding compromise will be reached. Officials from Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and pro-Russian separatists will continue negotiations in Belarus Wednesday on a cease-fire in Ukraine. Analysts predict U.S. oil supplies hit a record last week.
“The markets don’t see a Greek exit as highly likely and certainly don’t think there’s a really negative outcome looming,” Mark Lister, head of private wealth research at Craigs Investment Partners Ltd., which manages about $7.2 billion, said by phone from Wellington. “I get the feeling behind closed doors they will come to some sort of a compromise. There are still a lot of risks out there but then again the world is growing very slowly, interest rates are at zero and central banks remain stimulatory.”
Bond Moves
Yields on U.S. Treasury notes due in a decade fell to 1.97 percent today. Rates on the bonds rose for a fourth straight day in New York yesterday, climbing to 2 percent, the highest level since Jan. 8. The rate on German 10-year bunds was at 0.36 percent, while Greek debt fluctuated.
Greece is trying to drum up support for a 10 billion-euro ($11.3 billion) bridge plan to stave off a funding crunch and buy time to win an easing in austerity terms from creditors. Any deal would require a softening of Germany’s stance. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said there were no plans to discuss a new accord with Greece at the emergency meeting in Brussels, or to give the country more time,
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis told lawmakers on Monday that the government intends to neither tear up the existing bailout agreement, nor allow the budget to be derailed.
‘Intense Contacts’
The European Commission denied reports it will present a compromise proposal at Wednesday’s meeting, saying “very intense contacts are ongoing between” Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and others, and that the plan being worked on is to keep Greece in the euro area.
The euro was little changed at $1.1317, while Japan’s yen slipped 0.3 percent to 119.75 per dollar. The currency touched a one-month low of 119.78. A gauge of the dollar was little changed after closing at its highest level in data going back to 2004 on speculation policy makers could raise U.S. interest rates by mid-year.
Russia’s ruble weakened 1.5 percent to 66.41 per dollar after the currency slid 1 percent yesterday. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said peace talks in Minsk to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine are likely to take place as officials wrangle over the degree of autonomy to give rebel-held eastern regions after 10 months of fighting.
U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin to reaffirm American support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and address Russia’s support for the separatists battling the Kiev government, according to the White House.
Hang Seng
About the same number of stocks rose as fell on the Stoxx 600 today, with about half of the 19 industry groups advancing. Telecity Group Plc surged 15 percent after announcing a takeover bid for colocation provider InterXion Holding NV.
Sky Plc, Rupert Murdoch’s European broadcasting arm, fell the most in six months in London trading after agreeing to pay the bulk of a record 5.14 billion pounds ($7.8 billion) for the U.K. rights to broadcast live English Premier League soccer.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index retreated 0.9 percent as HSBC Holdings Plc slid 2.2 percent, the biggest drop in almost a year as Asian shares of Europe’s largest lender paced declines in its London stock price. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index of Chinese companies listed in the city slipped 0.4 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.5 percent after a 1.5 percent gain yesterday.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.1 percent on Tuesday, erasing its 2015 decline, while the Nasdaq Composite Index increased 1.3 percent to near a 15-year high. Nasdaq 100 Index futures were little changed today after Apple Inc.’s market value rose above $700 billion for the first time.
Apple climbed 1.9 percent to $122.02 in U.S. trading, swelling its market capitalization to $710.7 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company reported record profit in the fourth quarter, on sales of larger-screen, more expensive iPhones and rising China revenue.
West Texas Intermediate crude advanced to $50.32 a barrel after sinking 5.4 percent in Tuesday trading. Oil-price volatility is near the highest level in six years amid speculation over the pace of the slowdown in U.S. output. Brent crude, the benchmark price for more than half the world’s oil, added 0.4 percent to $56.68 in London.
Data from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday will show U.S. oil inventories rose by 3.75 million barrels last week, according to energy analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Stockpiles in the previous week were at 413.1 million, the highest level in weekly records from the Energy Department’s statistical arm dating back to August 1982.
Gold for immediate delivery advanced to $1,236.16 an ounce, while silver increased 0.4 percent to $17.0015.
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