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Swiss Blue-chip Index Falls; UBS Declines as Lawmakers Back Stricter Capital Rules

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The Swiss Market Index was 0.23% in the red on Wednesday's close as investors took stock of the latest private sector and economic data prints that hit the market, alongside corporate updates.

The Swiss parliament's upper house voted in favor of the proposed new capital requirements for UBS Group (UBSG.SW), requiring the banking group to back its foreign subsidiaries with 90% common equity Tier 1 capital. UBS shares ended the trading day 1.71% lower.

"If the decision by the Council of States is confirmed, UBS would be required to hold a total of around USD 33bn of incremental CET1 capital since the acquisition of Credit Suisse," the group said in response to the Council of States' decision. "This political outcome is not a compromise and fails to address the root causes of the Credit Suisse collapse ... As the parliamentary process continues, UBS will focus on protecting its long-term interests. UBS will also continue to contribute facts and analysis to support informed decision-making and advocate for regulation that is truly targeted, proportionate and internationally aligned."

Meanwhile, Roche (RO.SW) reported that interim results from the phase 3 Imagination study for once-monthly sefaxersen in adults with progressive kidney condition primary IgA nephropathy, or Berger's disease, met its primary endpoint of statistically significant and clinically meaningful proteinuria reduction at 37 weeks, compared with placebo. The investigational subcutaneous injection's safety and tolerability profile was also observed to be in line with previously reported data. The Swiss pharmaceutical giant's stock was flat at closing.

Outside Switzerland and in other news, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global Flash Eurozone Composite PMI Output Index rose to a 41-month high of 53.1 in September from 52 in August. The provisional reading marks the third straight month of business activity expansion in the euro area.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development lifted its 2026 economic growth forecasts for the euro area and the UK by 0.2 percentage points each to 1% and 1.1%, respectively, compared with its June estimates, according to its latest Economic Outlook report. The OECD also edged up its global gross domestic product growth projection by 0.1 percentage point to 2.9% in 2026, noting that continued uncertainty regarding the evolution of the Middle East conflict remains a key risk to its outlook.

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Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Close Mixed While Treasury Yields Retreat With Crude Oil

(Updates with index/price moves and comments from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes ended mixed Tuesday, with materials emerging as top gainers while financials fronted the decliners.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% to 27,244.28, after hitting an intraday record earlier in the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% to 51,863.69 while the S&P 500 was unchanged at 7,764.64.Energy and communication services were among the decliners, while the consumer staples sector was one of the biggest outperformers.On Monday, more US stocks in the S&P 500 index scored new 52-week lows during the session than notched 52-week highs, CNBC reported. The last time that occurred for the S&P 500 was in December 1999, the year before the dot.com bust, the news report said.US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that a deal with Iran is possible after the midterm elections, but his other choice is to "annihilate the Islamic Republic," CNN reported.The key actors in the US-Iran war will be having meetings in New York, starting Tuesday, Thierry Wizman, global foreign-exchange and rates strategist at Macquarie, said in a note. "And the agreements and accords that come out of those meetings may determine whether the war continues and intensifies or whether an off-ramp is found.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract dropped 1.2% to $94.59 per barrel, while the global benchmark North Sea Brent slumped 1.6% to $98.69 per barrel.The Federal Reserve's next interest rate increase could come as early as October as higher oil prices threaten to push inflation farther away from the US central bank's 2% goal, Oxford Economics said in a report e-mailed Tuesday. The research outfit has raised its projections for oil prices, factoring in risks to oil shipments via the Red Sea at a time when the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.The US Treasury's 2-year auction hit a high yield of 4.787% on Tuesday, up from the 4.204% high in the previous auction. The bid-to-cover ratio for the auction was 2.63, above the 2.60 ratio in the previous auction.Most US Treasury yields slipped, with the 10-year yield leaning lower to 4.96% and the two-year rate down by less than one basis point to 4.75%.Gold futures rose 0.3% to $4,397.5, and silver futures jumped 1.8% to $67.63, turning the corner from earlier in the day.In economic news, Redbook US same-store sales rose by 7.6% from a year earlier in the week ended Sept. 19 after an 8.5% year-over-year increase in the previous week.In company news, Amgen's (AMGN) phase 3 study of dazodalibep met its primary endpoint, showing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in systemic disease activity at week 48 in adults with Sjogren's disease, the drugmaker said. Shares jumped 4.3%, the Dow's top gainer.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AMGN
Asia Markets

Update: US Equity Indexes Mixed in Midday Trading

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and comments from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes were mixed, with materials emerging as top gainers while financials fronted decliners, in midday trading on Tuesday.The Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.3% to 27,211.5, after hitting an intraday record earlier in the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% to 51,821.2 while the S&P 500 was unchanged at 7,763.9. Financials and communication services led decliners.US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that a deal with Iran is possible after the midterm elections, but his other choice is to "annihilate the Islamic Republic," CNN reported.The front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract climbed 0.5% to $96.30 per barrel, while the global benchmark North Sea Brent declined 0.3% to $100.05 per barrel.The Federal Reserve's next interest rate increase could come as early as October as higher oil prices threaten to push inflation farther away from the US central bank's 2% goal, Oxford Economics said in a report e-mailed Tuesday. The research outfit has raised its projections for oil prices, factoring in risks to oil shipments via the Red Sea at a time when the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.The US Treasury's 2-year auction hit a high yield of 4.787% on Tuesday, up from the 4.204% high in the previous auction.The bid-to-cover ratio for the auction was 2.63, above the 2.60 ratio in the previous auction.Most US Treasury yields declined after midday, with the 10-year yield unchanged at 4.96% and the two-year rate less than one basis point to 4.75%.In economic news, Redbook US same-store sales rose by 7.6% from a year earlier in the week ended Sept. 19 after an 8.5% year-over-year increase in the previous week.The Richmond Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell to minus 2 in September from 4 in August, compared with the expectations for 2 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's monthly non-manufacturing activity index worsened to minus 22.0 in September from minus 10.6 in the previous month, compared with the expectations for an improvement to minus 8.7 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In company news, Amgen's (AMGN) phase 3 study of dazodalibep met its primary endpoint, showing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in systemic disease activity at week 48 in adults with Sjogren's disease, the drugmaker said. Shares jumped 3.9%, the Dow's top gainer.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AMGN
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Rise, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV edged higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) added 0.5%.US equity indexes traded mixed, with materials leading gainers and financials fronting decliners after midday on Tuesday.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) fractionally up and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) down less than 0.1%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) added 0.4%; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) rose 0.4%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) gained 0.3%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) was up 1.4%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) rose 1.6%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) was 1.8% lower. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) declined 5.5%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), advanced 5.6%.CommoditiesCrude added 0.5%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 0.9%. Natural gas gained 4%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) moved 4.1% higher.Gold on Comex slipped 0.2%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was down 0.2%. Silver added 0.3%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 0.1%.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 1.1% and the Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) rose 1%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) was up 0.3%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) added 0.4%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) rose 1.5%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) gained 0.6%, while iShares US Healthcare (IYH) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) added 0.8% each. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 1.7%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) fell fractionally. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) was up 0.1% and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) dipped 0.1%.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) was fractionally lower. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) declined less than 0.1%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was down 0.6%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) dropped 0.5%.

Dow Jones^EEM^EXI^FAS^FAZ^GLD^IBB^IGM^IGV^IPK^IVV^IWMNasdaq Composite^IYE^IYH^IYJ^IYK^IYW^PMR^QQQ^RTH^SOXXS&P 500^SPY^UNG^USO^VDC^VHT^VIS^XLE^XLF^XLI^XLK^XLP^XLV^XRT^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH