Consumer stocks were edging higher pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) up 0.1% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) advancing by 0.6%.
Lululemon athletica (LULU) stock was up more than 3% after the company said it has settled its dispute with its founder, Chip Wilson.
Gold fell to a two-month low early on Monday, even as the dollar dipped as oil prices weakened ahead of an expected deal to end the war on Iran, easing inflation worries.Gold for July delivery was last seen down US$47.80 to US$4,487.20 per ounce, the lowest since March 26.The precious metal has remained well below its Jan. 28 record high as investors turned to the dollar as oil prices surged after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a fifth of daily oil demand supplied by Persian Gulf nations.However oil prices have retreated from four-year highs touched last month on expectations Iran and the United States will soon end hostilities amid talks in Qatar and reopen the Strait, easing the inflation worries that have supported the dollar and pushed up treasury yields, both bearish for gold."Gold fell alongside US bond yields on Tuesday as the prospect of a Middle East peace deal weighed on oil prices, thereby easing inflation concerns. In addition, a powerful global equity rally, led by chipmakers, has reduced near-term demand for defensive assets such as gold," Saxo Bank noted.The dollar was lower early, with the ICE dollar index last seen down 0.18 points to 98.99. Treasury yields edged down, with the U.S. two-year note last seen paying 4.041%, down 0.5 basis points, while the yield on the 10-year note was down 2.3 points to 4.47%.
Technology stocks were rising premarket Wednesday, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) up 1.1% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) advancing by 3.2%.Micron Technology (MU) shares were up more than 6%, extending gains after the company's market capitalization eclipsed $1 trillion for the first time on Tuesday.
Oil traded lower for a second session early on Wednesday on expectations the United States and Iran will reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the largest-ever energy supply shock.West Texas Intermediate crude oil for July delivery was last seen down US$3.29 to US$90.60 per barrel, the lowest since April 20, while July Brent oil was down US$2.66 to US$96.92.The drop comes as United States and Iran continue negotiations to end their war and reopen the crucial waterway that is the chokepoint for the 20% of daily oil supply from Persian Gulf nations that has been closed since the Feb. 28 start to the war.Talks between the two countries are continuing in Qatar. While U.S. President Trump has repeatedly said a deal is near, The Guardian reported Iran is unwilling to agree to a deal that does not meet all its conditions. The paper said Iran has also launched talks with Oman on future regulations for ships transiting the Strait, which had been an international waterway prior to Iran's blockade.Though oil prices have retreated from April highs above US$110 per barrel, there is little expectations prices will quickly return to pre-war levels as importers look to rebuild inventories."Even if a deal is reached, market normalization is likely to take months, with ongoing demand for replacement barrels and depleted inventories potentially leading to a higher price floor than the one seen before the war," Saxo Bank noted.