Energy prices likely to hit wider economy more quickly than in 2022, ECB's Sleijpen says | Reuters Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv Item 1 of 3 European Central Bank governing council member Olaf Sleijpen speaks at press conference for the publication of Dutch central bank's annual report in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw [1/3]European Central Bank governing council member Olaf Sleijpen ...

Market Overview - U.S. stocks traded lower, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 150 points, down 0.37% to 46,817.26, NASDAQ down 0.18% to 22,439.66, and S&P 500 down 0.24% to 6,700.08 [1] Sector Performance - Energy shares increased by 0.4% on Wednesday, while materials stocks decreased by 1.2% [1] Commodity Prices - Oil prices rose by 2.6% to $98.70, while gold fell by 3% to $4,858.20. Silver decreased by 4.2% to $76.555, and copper dropped by 3.4% to $5.5730 [3] European Market Performance - European shares showed mixed results, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 down 0.4%, Spain's IBEX 35 up 0.1%, London's FTSE 100 down 0.5%, Germany's DAX down 0.3%, and France's CAC 40 up 0.2% [4] Asian Market Performance - Asian markets closed higher, with Japan's Nikkei 225 up 2.87%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index up 0.61%, China's Shanghai Composite up 0.32%, and India's BSE Sensex up 0.83% [5] Economic Indicators - U.S. producer prices increased by 0.7% month-over-month in February, compared to 0.5% in the previous month and higher than market estimates of 0.3% [2][6] - U.S. mortgage applications dipped by 10.9% in the week ending March 13, marking the sharpest decline since September 2025 [6]

Group 1: U.S. Stock Market Performance - U.S. stocks traded lower, with the Dow Jones index dipping over 100 points, down 0.28% to 48,933.32 [1] - The NASDAQ fell 0.28% to 23,619.57, and the S&P 500 dropped 0.24% to 6,952.62 [1] - Consumer staples shares gained by 0.2%, while materials stocks fell by 1.4% [1] Group 2: Verizon Communications Inc. Financial Results - Verizon reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results, with quarterly revenue growth of 2.0% year-over-year, reaching $36.40 billion [2] - The revenue exceeded the analyst consensus estimate of $36.06 billion [2] - Adjusted EPS of $1.09 topped the analyst consensus estimate of $1.05 [2] Group 3: Commodity Market Updates - Oil traded up 0.4% to $65.68, while gold traded down 4.7% at $5,103.20 [3] - Silver fell 14% to $98.420, and copper decreased by 2.6% to $6.0395 [3] Group 4: European Market Performance - European shares were higher, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 rising 0.7% [4] - Spain's IBEX 35 Index rose 1.8%, London's FTSE 100 increased by 0.4%, Germany's DAX gained 0.9%, and France's CAC 40 rose by 0.8% [4] Group 5: Asia Pacific Market Performance - Asian markets closed lower, with Japan's Nikkei falling 0.1% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dipping 2.08% [5] - China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.96%, and India's BSE Sensex decreased by 0.36% [5] Group 6: U.S. Economic Indicators - U.S. producer prices increased 0.5% month-over-month in December, marking the largest rise in three months [6] - This increase followed a 0.2% rise in the previous month and exceeded market expectations of 0.2% [6]

Core Insights - Inflation increased to 2.9% annually in August, up from 2.7% in July, aligning with economist expectations [1] - Month-over-month, prices rose by 0.4% in August, compared to a 0.2% increase in July, driven by higher gasoline and food prices [2] - Core inflation remained steady at 3.1% year-over-year, with a monthly increase of 0.3%, matching July's performance [2] Federal Reserve Implications - The Federal Reserve is considering its next interest rate move, with markets anticipating a quarter-point cut despite rising prices [3] - The likelihood of a larger half-point reduction has increased due to revisions indicating the US economy added 911,000 fewer jobs than previously reported [4] - Following the inflation report, traders are pricing in a 92% chance of a quarter-point cut and an 8% chance of a half-point cut by year-end [5] Wholesale Inflation Data - Producer prices fell by 0.1% in August, marking the first decline in four months, suggesting businesses are absorbing some tariff costs [6] - The lack of stronger price pressures indicates potential softening in domestic demand amid a weakening labor market [6]

US Treasury yields hover around their highest levels in a month as traders await data on producer prices that could provide more evidence trade tariffs are stoking inflation https://t.co/EMy0yVcXos ...