Bonds Rise as Clock Ticks Toward Fed, BOJ: Stocks Little Changed
- Analysts split on BOJ while odds of Fed rate hike at 22%
- Most Asian index futures advance after S&P 500 meanders
Brown: Skip the Fed, Focus on the BOJ Instead
Bonds climbed, while U.S. stocks ended little changed for a second day, as the countdown to policy decisions from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan entered its final stretch. Oil rose.
Treasuries halted a two-day decline as traders saw 22 percent odds of an interest-rate hike from the Fed on Wednesday. The S&P 500 Index advanced less than 0.1 percent as about 100 more stocks fell as rose. The yen extended what’s shaping up to be the best performance among major currencies this year, climbing for a second day amid speculation the BOJ is running out of ammunition to spur inflation through monetary easing. Crude advanced after Algeria said OPEC may turn informal talks next week into a formal meeting. U.S. natural gas futures surged, while gasoline tumbled. Nickel jumped.