Economy

Potential Yield Curve Inversion Weigh on US Stocks

Published

6 years ago

13/08/2019

By Investors Hub

The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a lower opening on Tuesday, with stocks likely to see further downside following the sell-off seen in the previous session.

The downward momentum on Wall Street comes amid continued concerns about the escalating U.S.-China trade war and rising tensions in Hong Kong.

The geopolitical concerns have led traders to seek safe haven assets such as U.S treasuries, resulting in a slump in U.S. bond yields.

The yield on the benchmark ten-year note is threatening to drop below the yield on the two-year note, which is widely seen as indicator of an impending recession.

Stocks moved sharply lower over the course of the trading session on Monday, adding to the losses posted last week. The major averages came under pressure early in the session and slid more firmly into negative territory as the day progressed.

While the major averages climbed off their worst levels going into the close, they still posted steep losses on the day. The Dow plunged 391.00 points or 1.5 percent to 25,896.44, the Nasdaq tumbled 95.73 points or 1.2 percent to 7,863.41 and the S&P 500 slumped 35.96 points or 1.2 percent to 2,882.69.

The sell-off on Wall Street came amid worries about a prolonged trade war between the U.S. and China after President Donald Trump recently indicated he feels no sense of urgency to resolve the dispute.

Trump told reporters last Friday that he is “not ready to make a deal” with China and suggested the U.S. could skip the next round of trade talks in September.

“We’ll see whether or not we keep our meeting in September. If we do, that’s fine. If we don’t, that’s fine,” Trump said. “But it’s time that somebody does what we’re doing.”

Trump denied that Americans are paying the price for his trade war with China, arguing that Beijing’s efforts to depress their currency prove that the Chinese are “paying for it.”

“I want them to do well. But as of this moment, they’re having the worst year that they’ve had in many, many years ? in decades,” he added. “And really, we’re just bringing the system back into order.”

Concerns about the impact of increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong also weighed on stocks, with the Hong Kong International Airport canceling all departing flights due to the disruption caused by protesters.

The pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong have intensified following allegations of unnecessary police violence on Sunday.

The geopolitical concerns increased the appeal of safe haven assets like bonds, resulting in a steep drop in U.S. treasury yields. The yield on the benchmark ten-year note tumbled to its lowest closing level in almost three years.

Steel stocks turned in some of the market’s worst performances on the day amid concerns about the impact of the U.S.-China trade war.

Reflecting the weakness in the sector, the NYSE Arca Steel Index plunged by 3.1 percent to its lowest closing level since November of 2016.

The drop in bond yields also contributed to considerable weakness among financial stocks, with the NYSE Arca Broker/Dealer Index and the KBW Bank Index slumping by 2.2 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

Transportation, biotechnology, and chemical stocks also saw significant weakness, moving lower along with most of the other major sectors.

Economy

NASD OTC Exchange Drops 0.44%

Published

1 hour ago

28/01/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange dipped by 0.44 per cent on Tuesday, January 27, with the market capitalisation declining by N9.70 billion to N2.174 trillion from N2.184 trillion, and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) falling by 16.21 points to 3,634.73 points from 3,650.94 points.

The bourse was under pressure from two securities, which lost weight, overpowering the gains recorded by three securities.

Business Post reports that FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc lost N5.70 to sell at N64.00 per share compared with Monday’s price of N69.70 per share and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc dropped 17 Kobo to close at N40.50 per unit, in contrast to the preceding day’s N40.67 per unit.

On the flip side, Air Liquide Plc added N1.69 to settle at N18.63 per share versus the previous session’s N16.94 per share, UBN Property Plc appreciated by 20 Kobo to N2.20 per unit from N2.00 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc gained 6 Kobo to trade at 69 Kobo per share versus 63 Kobo per share.

During the session, the volume of securities traded by investors fell further by 80.9 per cent to 1.3 million units from 6.8 million units, the value of securities went down by 57.3 per cent to N57.3 million from N156.7 million, and the total number of deals shrank by 13.6 per cent to 38 deals from 44 deals.

At the close of business, CSCS Plc was the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 14.4 million units traded for N586.1 million, the second spot was occupied by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 1.6 million units worth N107.9 million, and the third spot was taken by MRS Oil Plc with 297,101 units valued at N59.3 million.

CSCS Plc also ended as the most active stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 14.4 million units valued at N586.1 million, followed by Geo-Fluids Plc with 1.6 million units worth N107.9 million, and Mass Telecom Innovation Plc with 6.4 million units sold for N2.6 million.

Economy

Naira Firms to N1,401/$1 at Official Market as Reforms Bear Fruits

Published

1 hour ago

28/01/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The value of the Nigerian Naira appreciated against the US Dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) on Tuesday, January 27 by N17.73 or 1.25 per cent to close at N1,401.22/$1, in contrast to the previous day’s value of N1,418.95/$1.

Also, the domestic currency improved its value against the Euro by N10.09 in the same market window yesterday to trade at N1,672.22/€1 versus the previous session’s N1,682.31/€1, but declined against the Pound Sterling by N4.72 to trade at N1,925.84/£1 compared with Monday’s closing price of N1,921.12/£1.

At the GTBank FX desk, the Naira appreciated against the greenback during the session by N4 to close at N1,426/$1 compared with the previous day’s N1,430/$1 and at the parallel market, it remained unchanged at N1,480/$1.

The Naira continues to align with projections and reforms. Analysts largely expect the local currency to remain within a relatively stable range in the medium term. Many projections suggest the currency will trade between N1,400/$1 and N1,450/$1 this year, supported by improved FX liquidity and ongoing macroeconomic reforms.

Nigeria’s external reserves have continued on a steady upward trajectory, providing additional support for the domestic currency. According to figures published by the CBN on its website, external reserves rose to $46.03 billion as of January 26, 2026, reflecting sustained inflows and improved confidence in the FX market.

Ongoing reforms in the oil sector that have buoyed investments, rising foreign capital inflows, and stronger diaspora remittances are also combining to underpin exchange rate stability and sustain confidence in the FX market.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market rose on Tuesday and the US Dollar remained under pressure ahead of a closely watched Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday.

The weaker Dollar has fueled strong rallies in gold and silver, but crypto has so far lagged that trade.

Ethereum (ETH) gained 2.5 per cent to trade at $3,000.05, Dogecoin (DOGE) increased by 2.4 per cent to $0.1249, Solana (SOL) expanded by 2.3 per cent to $126.84, Binance Coin (BNB) added 2.1 per cent to sell for $900.33, Cardano (ADA) jumped by 1.6 per cent to $0.3568, Ripple (XRP) appreciated by 0.9 per cent to $1.91, Bitcoin (BTC) soared by 0.9 per cent to $89,016.63, and Litecoin (LTC) grew by 0.6 per cent to $69.69, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) traded flat at $1.00 apiece.

Economy

Crude Oil Jumps 3% as US Winter Storm Affects Output

Published

1 hour ago

28/01/2026

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Crude oil appreciated by 3 per cent on Tuesday as a winter storm in the United States affected crude production and drove US Gulf Coast crude exports to zero over the weekend.

During the session, Brent crude futures went up by $1.98 or 3.02 per cent to $67.57 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures grew by $1.76 or 2.9 per cent to trade at $62.39 a barrel.

US oil producers lost up to 2 million barrels per day or roughly 15 per cent of national production over the weekend as a severe winter storm swept across the country, straining energy infrastructure and power grids.

The severe weather has boosted crude futures, with short-term risks rising on fears of supply disruptions.

According to Reuters, the Permian Basin experienced the largest share of that decline at around 1.5 million barrels per day. Production losses eased on Monday, with Permian shut-ins estimated at about 700,000 barrels per day and production set to be fully restored by January 30.

The exports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from US Gulf Coast ports tumbled to zero on Sunday amid frigid weather. However, this has rebounded in the last days.

Also boosting prices, Kazakhstan’s biggest oilfield, Tengiz, is likely to restore less than half of its normal production by February 7 as it slowly recovers from a fire and power outage.

The slow pace of recovery of Tengiz’s production is keeping the oil market tighter while a weaker US Dollar also lended some support.

However, the CPC, which operates Kazakhstan’s main exporting pipeline, said it returned to full loading capacity at its terminal on the Russian Black Sea coast after maintenance was completed at one of its three mooring points.

On the geopolitical front, the US landed an aircraft carrier and supporting warships in the Middle East, adding to the slim chance of a military action against Iran.

President Donald Trump Trump had repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iran continued to kill protesters, but the countrywide demonstrations have since abated. The US president said he had been told that killings were subsiding and that he believes there is currently no plan for the executions of prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) is set to keep its pause on oil output increases for March at a meeting on February 1.