From Yahoo Finance: 2024-04-30 04:30:23

Oil prices dropped as hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East rose. Markets mostly rose following Wall Street advances and the yen holding gains. The Federal Reserve meeting Wednesday is anticipated to leave borrowing costs unchanged, but investors are watching for clues about future plans. Recent earnings reports from tech giants have supported market gains despite fading hopes for a US interest rate cut. Asian markets were mostly higher, with Hong Kong seeing a seventh day of gains. Tokyo rose over 1%, while London inched up and Frankfurt dipped. The Bank of Japan’s recent decision highlighted the importance of the Fed’s upcoming meeting for currency volatility. Oil prices increased slightly on hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was up 1.2%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.1%, and Shanghai’s Composite was down 0.3%. Currency values varied, with the dollar/yen up at 156.82 yen and the euro/dollar down at $1.0705. West Texas Intermediate oil was up 0.2% at $82.77 per barrel, and Brent North Sea Crude was up 0.2% at $88.55 per barrel.



Read more at Yahoo Finance: Most markets build on Wall St rally, yen holds rebound