Shares rise as bank support emboldens investors

Global shares increased on Wednesday as investors were encouraged by the relatively stable banking sector. However, this optimism was not enough to heavily impact safe-haven assets such as bonds or gold.

Additionally, Asian shares rose after conglomerate Alibaba announced plans to split up into six different units, lifting tech stocks. The sale of assets in Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) following its recent collapse also helped boost investor confidence. With some measures of market stress decreasing in the last couple of weeks, cryptocurrencies, equities, and commodities all experienced gains

The MSCI All-World index rose 0.3%, while European shares experienced a 0.92% gain, thanks in part to an increase in bank shares after UBS announced Sergio Ermotti will lead the company after its takeover of Credit Suisse.

Despite similarities to the financial crisis of 2008, the current banking sector issues appear relatively more contained as the banks are well capitalised, have a lot of deposits, and regulators and central banks are committed to preventing any significant systemic events. However, uncertainty over the outlook for global interest rates continues to make investors nervous.

“Sentiment is skittish at the moment and market will be prone to swings,” said Kallum Pickering, senior economist at Berenberg.

During the first congressional hearing into the collapse of two U.S. regional lenders, officials scrutinized the Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator for not being more aggressive in overseeing SVB.

“What we’re trying to factor into the macroeconomic picture as a result of these banking stresses is a degree of liquidity hoarding and some cautious lending behaviour by the banks until they can fully understand the effects of monetary-policy tightening,” added Pickering.

As investors reassess their expectations regarding monetary policy from several major central banks, including the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve, due to concerns about inflation, markets now indicate a 60% chance of the Fed leaving interest rates unchanged at its next meeting.

Gold prices fell 0.3% to $1,965 an ounce but managed to remain within sight of last week’s high around $2,000. Oil gained for a third straight day on encouraging market sentiment as a halt to some exports from Iraqi Kurdistan raised concerns of tightening supply. Brent and U.S. crude futures both rose.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan has stated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into former President Trump is a political exercise, while Nashville’s Christian community is grieving deeply following a mass school shooting.

(Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Jacqueline Wong)

In other news, the ski collision trial involving Gwyneth Paltrow continues as her accuser takes the stand, and new details have emerged relating to the recent school shooting in Nashville as police released body camera footage from the event. Additionally, an Indian tribunal has granted partial relief to Alphabet Inc.’s Google by setting aside four cases against the company, and investors are investing heavily in China’s tech, media, and telecom shares.

Italy’s top commercial broadcaster has announced that its unit Mediaset has partnered with Facebook owner Meta Platforms, and on-demand services from the BBC and ITV, among other public service broadcasters, must remain easy to find on smart TVs.