- Deadly Israeli strike on Beirut likely targeted Hezbollah security chief
- Bangladesh Islamist chief backs crimes against humanity trial for ex-PM
- Everest climber's remains believed found after 100 years
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack
- Clashes on South China Sea, Ukraine dominate Asia summit
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Zelensky meets Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- Hello Hallyu: why is South Korean culture sweeping the globe?
- UK economy rebounds in August in boost to new govt
- Voice of Japan's beloved robot cat 'Doraemon' dies
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- 20 Pakistan coal miners shot dead in attack: police
- Blinken condemns China's 'increasingly dangerous' sea moves
- Toyota returns to Formula One as Haas partner
- EU chief says China must 'adapt its behaviour' to solve trade row
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- Lynx rally, stun Liberty in overtime in WNBA Finals opener
- Pogacar hunting 'perfect' season finale with Coppi's Il Lombardia record
- 'Soul of old Baghdad': city centre sees timid revival
- Kittle at the double as Niners hold off Seahawks
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Yankees advance in MLB playoffs as Guardians stay alive
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- Kamada says Japan can close in on World Cup place against Australia
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- Renewables revolt in Sardinia, Italy's coal-fired island
- Argentina held, Brazil leave it late in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- Obama blasts 'crazy' Trump in first rally for Harris
- 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, a plea in favour of world order?
- Fry homers as Guardians down Tigers to stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Japan PM presses China's Li on airspace intrusion
- In Trump 'Truths,' conspiracies, attacks -- and doubts about the election
- How Sebastian Stan found a 'relatable' Trump for 'The Apprentice' biopic
- Panama's water wheel trash collector keeps plastic at bay
- It's still 'the economy, stupid,' says US political guru Carville
- Five key dates in the history of the America's Cup
- Zelensky to meet Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends
- At least 10 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Far from eye, Hurricane Milton's deadly tornados rampaged Florida
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Argentina held, Bolivia stun Colombia in 2026 qualifiers
- Socceroos have 'nothing to fear' from Japan
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial set for May 2025
- Bolivia stun Colombia in World Cup qualifiers
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Greece earn late win against England in Nations League, Italy-Belgium stalemate
- Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' hits US theaters weeks before election
Wall Street stocks rise before key rate decisions
New York stocks climbed Monday at the start of a busy week of central bank meetings in the United States, Britain and Japan that should shed more light on the direction of interest rates.
Europe's main stock markets were little changed in afternoon trading while oil prices made modest gains after Ukraine again hit Russian oil refineries.
All eyes are on the US Federal Reserve, whose policy making committee meets this week and will announce any decisions Wednesday.
There are also rate calls this week from Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank.
The Fed isn't expected to alter its rates but it will release its latest so-called "dot plots" that lay out the central bank's interest rate forecasts.
At the moment, the chart points to three cuts this year, but recent hot inflation data could cut the number to two.
"On balance, the market still believes that the Fed will cut rates at its June meeting," said David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation.
"But it’s quite possible that the ‘Dot Plot’ will indicate that FOMC members would prefer to push back the timing to September, given the recent uptick in inflation data. If so, that could be the catalyst for some profit-taking across equities," he said.
Apple is in talks to build Google's Gemini artificial intelligence engine into its iPhones, according to media reports. Apple shares were up more than 4 percent and Google's parent company Alphabet rose almost 13 percent.
The Bank of England is expected to stand pat Thursday irrespective of the latest UK inflation reading due the previous day.
Investors also have their eyes on a Bank of Japan (BoJ) decision Tuesday, with policymakers expected to finally ditch the bank's negative interest rate.
Japanese companies recently agreed to the largest pay increases in three decades, indicating less need for the long-standing loose policy to boost a flagging Japanese economy.
"These wage hikes may prompt the BoJ to reconsider its negative interest rate policy, especially if they contribute to achieving sustained inflation closer to the 2 percent target," said Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at City Index.
Asia's leading stock markets rose Monday after China posted stronger-than-expected industrial production data in what has so far been an uneven recovery for the world's second-largest economy.
- Key figures around 1450 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 7,726.70 points
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 8,148.46
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 17,930.38
EURO STOXX 50: FLAT at 0.3 percent at 4,986.15
New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 38,783.28 points
New York - S&P 500: UP 0.9 percent at 5,161.78 points
New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.4 percent at 16,200.33 points
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.7 percent at 39,740.44 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.1 percent at 16,737.12 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 3,084.93 (close)
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 38,714.77 points
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0889 from $1.0891 on Friday
Dollar/yen: UP at 149.20 yen from 149.08 yen
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2724 from $1.2737
Euro/pound: UP at 85.54 pence from 85.48 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $81.41 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $85.63 per barrel
burs-gv/rl
P.M.Smith--AMWN