Opening Bell: Continued Fed Accomodation Drives Global Markets Higher; BTC Falls

 | Nov 04, 2021 08:51AM ET

  • US benchmarks post back-to-back records
  • Europe's STOXX 600 hits new high
  • Bitcoin continues to slide
  • h2 Key Events/h2

    S&P, NASDAQ and Russell 2000 futures were higher in trading ahead of the US open on Thursday while futures on the Dow were marginally lower. European shares also surged to new records as global markets digested Wednesday's comments from the Chair of the Federal Reserve Chair. Jerome Powell said that the bank will maintain its accommodative monetary policy, although it is starting to reduce its stimulus program.

    Both the dollar and gold rallied.

    h2 Global Financial Affairs/h2

    NASDAQ futures outperformed with contracts on the Russell 2000 the second-best performers this morning.

    In Europe, the STOXX 600 Index surged to a new all-time high extending the index's rally into its fifth straight week. Investor eagerness to add risk comes on the back of a solid earnings season.

    Energy and real estate firms led the gains. Alstria Office Reit (DE:AOXG) leaped as much as 20% after Brookfield Asset Management made a bid to take it private, assigning the real estate investment trust a value of about 3.47 billion euros.

    Asian benchmarks accelerated in unison, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 0.93%, outperforming the region. However, concerns over another wave of the coronavirus pandemic are dampening positive sentiment.

    Yesterday, Fed Chair Powell clarified the difference between the central bank’s stimulus program and future interest rates hikes a distinction that made investors happy—all four major US benchmarks, the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ 100 and the Russell 2000, reached all-time highs in the aftermath, for the second day in a row. This kind of back-to-back record has not occurred since January 2018.

    Treasuries climbed on the news.