Encouraging reports from China and news that the Federal Reserve would hold interest rates steady for some time are pushing stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) toward another rally.
The U.S. dollar has hit a 15-month low against a basket of major currencies today on positive economic news from Asia. The feeling that the Fed won’t raise rates anytime soon and the fact that central banks will continue to provide liquidity could continue to pressure the dollar, reports Bradley Davis for The Wall Street Journal. PowerShares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bearish (NYSEArca: UDN) is down slightly this morning.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today that he’s encouraged by the efforts Japan and China have made to increase internal demand instead of relying on Americans. It’s a shift, he said, that could contribute to more stable growth. iShares FTSE/Xinhua China (NYSEArca: FXI) is up about 0.25% this morning.
Homebuilder exchange traded funds (ETFs) are trading as high as 4.5% this morning on news that Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) new contracts are up 42%. The luxury homebuilder also expects fourth-quarter revenue to top expectations. SPDR S&P Homebuilders (NYSEArca: XHB) is up 3.2% this morning. For more stories about real estate, click here.
UPS (NYSE: UPS), the world’s largest package delivery service, said this morning that it expects volume to grow next year amid economic recovery. The company also said it may raise shipping rates next year, and the size will be announced in December, reports Harry Suhartono for Reuters. iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average (NYSEArca: IYT) is up about 1.5% today; UPS is 8.2%. For more stories on the transportation sector, click here.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.