- Asian markets surged alongside US and European equities futures on Friday, as a global stock index set for a second-straight quarterly gain, highlighting investor optimism in the face of financial instability and rising interest rates.
- This quarter, technology companies topped global markets, rising 19%, the most since mid-2020. The positive tone has continued this week, with the S&P 500 rising 0.6% on Thursday, its third gain in four days. The Nasdaq 100 gained 0.9% overnight, extending the bull market.
- Benchmark indexes in Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia rose on Friday, extending their advances into Q4. The Topix index lost some of its gains as Japan imposed stricter limits on chip exports.
- The dollar, which has dropped this month, was barely changed versus most major currencies on Friday. It gained roughly 0.3% against the yen.
- After a turbulent period, Treasuries were barely changed in early Asian trading. This year has seen huge swings in yields as investors battled to respond to bank failures and a shifting outlook for interest rates in the face of high inflation and threats to economic growth. On Friday, the 2-yr yield was around 4.13%, while the 10-year maturity was around 3.56%.
- The advances in US stocks on Thursday occurred as market participants processed a series of Fed commentary suggesting that more monetary tightening was required, despite the failure of three US banks earlier this month. Fed's Collins said tightening was necessary, while Fed's Barkin suggested the Fed might raise rates further if inflationary pressures remained high.
