Emerging Stocks Fall to 2-Month Low on U.S. Job Growth

Emerging-market stocks fell to a two-month low after the U.S. added fewer jobs than forecast in March and as quickening Chinese inflation curbs speculation that policy makers will use monetary policy to boost growth.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell for a fourth day, losing 1 percent to 1,026.29 at the close in New York, its lowest closing level since Jan. 31. Industrial and information technology companies had the biggest drop. HTC Corp., Asia’s second-largest smartphone maker, led declines among emerging-market technology companies after posting its steepest profit drop since listing a decade ago. Gerdau SA, Latin America’s largest steelmaker, slipped to a two-month low.