Here's our summary of key events overnight that affect New Zealand.
Stocks have made a roaring comeback, after slumping on news of new Chinese tariffs on US goods. The Dow Jones industrial average has traded 200 points higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite have gained at least 1%. China’s response to US threats that its tariffs are designed to target up to US$50 billion in US products a year had sent stocks downhill.
ANZ economists note that no date has been set for the proposed tariffs. While this means negotiations are still on the table, it also means uncertainty is set to continue for months. They say central banks will need to be vocal about their willingness to respond with interest rates should tensions worsen.
Annual inflation in the European Union is estimated to have increased by 1.4% in the year to March - up from 1.1% in February. The rise was largely driven by increases in food, alcohol and tobacco prices, followed by energy and services.
Turing to Australia, the number of building consents issued in February declined faster than expected. Approvals fell 6.2% in the month, off the back of a 17.2% increase in January. The number of consents issued for apartments plummeted, while those for houses increased slightly. In year-on-year terms, the number of consents issued dropped 3.1%.
In New York, the UST 10yr yield has inched up today to 2.79%.
Gold is stable at US$1,333/oz.
Oil is also pretty much unchanged. The US crude benchmark is at US$63/bbl, while the Brent benchmark is at US$68/bbl.
Firmer consumer confidence, milk prices, and a better budget balance have seen the New Zealand dollar strengthen overnight. It’s at 73.1 USc, 94.7 AUc and 59.5 euro cents. The TWI-5 has risen to 74.4.
The price of bitcoin has fallen by nearly $700 since this time yesterday to US$6,802.
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