* Shares claw higher, dollar steady as yield curve steepens
* U.S. economic data adds to outlook for Fed rate cut
(Updates prices to close)
By Sinéad Carew
NEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - Oil futures rose on Thursday
after attacks on two tankers off the coast of Iran, while the
U.S. Treasury yield curve steepened and stocks rose following
economic data seen as strengthening the case for the Federal
Reserve to cut interest rates this year.
Wall Street's major stock indexes closed higher after
falling for two days as investors regained their appetite for
risk assets.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits
unexpectedly rose last week, potentially adding to concerns
about the U.S. labor market after May job growth slowed. Other
data showed import prices fell by the most in five months in May
in the latest indication of muted inflation pressures, adding to
expectations the Fed will cut rates this year. "There are still concerns over geopolitical risk," said
Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial
in Newark, New Jersey.
"The market is waiting to hear from the Fed ... and whether
they will deviate at all from their latest stance, and I call it
an active dovish position, to see if they continue to lay the
groundwork for a rate cut perhaps later in the summer."
The S&P pared gains slightly after U.S. Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo said, without offering concrete evidence, the United
States believed Iran was responsible for tanker attacks in the
Gulf of Oman. The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 101.94 points,
or 0.39%, to 26,106.77, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 11.8 points,
or 0.41%, to 2,891.64 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added
44.41 points, or 0.57%, to 7,837.13.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.16% and
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS gained
0.06%.
After falling hard on Wednesday, oil futures rebounded
sharply on the news of the tanker attacks near Iran and the
Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for seaborne oil
cargoes. U.S. crude settled up 2.23% at $52.28 while Brent LCOc1
rose $1.14 to $61.31.
YIELD CURVE STEEPENS
Increased expectations of Fed rate cuts pulled short-dated
U.S. Treasury yields lower on Thursday, steepening the yield
curve ahead of Friday's retail sales data and the Fed's meeting
next week. Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 9/32 in price
to yield 2.0979%, from 2.127% late on Wednesday.
In currencies, the U.S. dollar was little changed against
the euro as investors were slow to take large positions before
the Fed meeting and the G20 summit later in June when U.S. and
China leaders are expected to discuss trade. The dollar index .DXY , which tracks the greenback against
six major currencies, rose 0.05%, with the euro EUR= down
0.12% to $1.1273.
The Japanese yen strengthened 0.11% versus the greenback, to
108.40 per dollar, while sterling GBP= was last trading at
$1.2675, down 0.09% on the day.
Gold prices edged higher on expectations for a U.S. rate cut
after the soft inflation data, although the uptick in equities
capped gains. Spot gold XAU= added 0.6% to $1,341.37 an ounce.
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Fed Funds rate projections https://tmsnrt.rs/2XgZ7Jj
Position of evacuated tankers in Gulf of Oman https://tmsnrt.rs/2X6nIQF
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