* Stock indexes around the world dip with oil futures
* Investors weigh U.S. data and ongoing trade tensions
* Hong Kong markets, exposed shares hit by local unrest
(Updates after U.S. market open, adds commentary, changes
byline, previous dateline LONDON)
By Sinéad Carew
NEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - Oil futures sank on Wednesday
amid higher U.S. crude inventories and a weaker demand outlook,
while uncertainty over the U.S.-China trade war and its
potential economic impact weighed on stock markets.
The dollar index .DXY was barely higher after May data
showed moderate inflation as U.S. consumer prices barely rose.
That, with a slowing economy, could build a case for the Federal
Reserve to cut interest rates. "I don't think this signals an inflation slump or anything.
But, it's still going to fuel expectations of ease," said
Michael Cloherty, head of U.S. rates strategy at RBC Capital
Markets.
While stock market participants also eyed the latest data as
a potential support for a rate cut, that was not enough to
outweigh worries about the economic impact of escalating trade
tensions.
With under three weeks to go before proposed talks between
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at
the June 28-29 G20 summit in Osaka, expectations for progress
toward ending the trade war were low https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-g20/expectations-low-for-trump-xi-talks-preparations-limited-idUSKCN1TD0DR
and sources told Reuters that there had been little preparation
for a meeting. "This is a market that would love to see us get back to the
negotiating table. The longer these trade tensions last, the
most damage it'll do to the economy, and therefore to earnings,"
said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities
in New York.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 35.57 points,
or 0.14%, to 26,012.94, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 5.12 points, or
0.18%, to 2,880.6 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 30.56
points, or 0.39%, to 7,792.00.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX lost 0.25% and
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.25%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index sank 1.7% .HSI as tens of
thousands of protesters stormed roads https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-extradition/hong-kong-police-fire-rubber-bullets-as-extradition-bill-protests-turn-to-chaos-idUSKCN1TC1WR
next to government offices to protest against a bill that would
allow China to extradite people from Hong Kong for trial.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS was down 0.7% after three days of gains.
OIL FALLS, TREASURY YIELD STEEPENS
In U.S. Treasuries, the yield curve steepened after the soft
inflation data pulled short-dated yields lower, indicating
increased expectations among fixed income investors for a Fed
rate cut. L2N23J0LE
Futures FEDWATCH imply a roughly 80% chance of a rate cut
in July and investors are looking for the Fed to give hints
about a cut after their meeting scheduled for June 18-19.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 6/32 in price
to yield 2.1205%, from 2.14% late on Tuesday.
In currency markets, Trump alarmed investors by tweeting
that the euro and other currencies were "devalued" against the
dollar, putting the United States at a "big disadvantage."
The dollar index .DXY , tracking the currency against six
major peers, rose 0.03%, with the euro EUR= down 0.06% at
$1.1322.
Oil prices fell more than 2% on Wednesday, weighed by an
unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories and a weaker demand
outlook. L4N23J0NR
Hedge fund managers have been liquidating bullish oil
positions at the fastest rate since late 2018 amid growing
economic fears. U.S. crude CLcv1 fell 2.5% to $51.94 per barrel.
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Asia stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
Asia-Pacific valuations https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dr2BQA
Past trade spats have caused dollar depreciation https://tmsnrt.rs/2WR0HkT
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