BLBG: Stocks Rise, Bonds Drop on Economic Recovery; Carbon Declines
By Justin Carrigan
Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Stocks rose and bonds dropped around the world on evidence that the economic recovery is gathering momentum. Carbon-permit prices dropped after world leaders failed to set binding emissions targets at the Copenhagen climate summit.
Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index gained 0.7 percent as of 12:23 p.m. in London. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.5 percent. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed 4 basis points to 3.58 percent. European carbon-dioxide allowances for delivery in December 2010 fell as much as 8.7 percent to 12.40 euros a metric ton. Nickel climbed the most in five weeks on Russian plans to tax exports of the metal.
Europe’s economy may expand by 0.7 percent next year and by 1.5 percent in 2011 after governments around the world provided “massive economic support,” the European Commission said today. U.K. gross domestic product will expand 1.2 percent next year, the Confederation of British Industry said, raising a previous forecast for growth of 0.9 percent. U.S. consumers probably earned and spent more in November, economists said before reports scheduled for release this week.
“The market has already bought the recovery,” said William de Vijlder, chief investment officer at Fortis Investment Management in Brussels, which manages about $246 billion. “We need to see confirmation that indeed these expectations have proved to be justified.”
Russian Stocks Rise
The MSCI World Index of 23 developed nations’ stocks advanced 0.4 percent. Safran SA climbed 3.6 percent in Paris after winning a $5 billion contract to supply engines for China’s first narrowbody aircraft. Natixis SA added 3.4 percent after the French bank said it will be profitable in the fourth quarter.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.4 percent, as Hong Kong- listed property developers and insurers declined on concern China will do more to curb real-estate speculation. Soho China Ltd., the biggest developer in Beijing’s central business district, dropped 4.5 percent and Poly (Hong Kong) Investment Ltd. lost 6.1 percent.
The gain in index futures indicated the benchmark gauge for U.S. equities may extend the 0.6 percent advance made on Dec. 18. Last-minute shopping in the days leading up to Christmas may make up for lost weekend sales on the U.S. East Coast after record snowfalls shut stores early and kept shoppers at home, the National Retail Federation said.
Voluntary Reductions
European Union carbon permits fell the most since February on the European Climate Exchange. The U.S., China, India and other nations attending the two-week Copenhagen summit that ended at the weekend agreed to voluntary, rather than binding, targets to reduce emissions. The accord isn’t enough to boost demand for permits, said Trevor Sikorski, an emissions analyst at Barclays Capital in London.
The dollar strengthened against 12 of the 16 most-traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg, and was little changed against the euro at $1.4336 after earlier reaching a three-month high of $1.4281. The rand dropped 1.1 percent to the weakest level against the dollar since Nov. 5. The Swiss franc was little changed against the euro, after rising as much as 0.7 percent earlier.
Nickel rallied as much as 4.6 percent to $17,790 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange as Russia’s government decided to reimpose a 5 percent tax on nickel exports that was suspended in January. Russia is home to OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel, the world’s largest producer of the stainless-steel ingredient. Copper for three-month delivery added 0.9 percent to $6,907 a ton, the first gain in three days.
Government bonds declined, with the yield on the two-year U.S. Treasury note rising 2 basis points to 0.82 percent. The yield on the German 10-year bund, Europe’s benchmark government security, climbed 2 basis points to 3.16 percent. Greece’s bonds fell for a third day, pushing the 10-year yield 11 basis points higher to 5.89 percent to its highest level since March.
To contact the reporter on this story: Justin Carrigan in London at jcarrigan@bloomberg.net