World stocks index dips after breaking record, oil near 2-1/2-year high

New York (Reuters): A global rally in stocks paused on Tuesday, halting a nine-day advance that had sent the most widely tracked index of world stock markets to record highs.

Wall Street’s two broadest indexes dipped in U.S. trading, sending the MSCI 47-country ‘All World’ index down slightly after it had hit record highs above 500 points when Japan’s Nikkei notched its best level since 1992 and Germany’s DAX scored a record high. The index is up nearly 20% for the year to date.

 “You’ve had almost a perfect backdrop for equities,” said Pictet Asset Management’s global strategist Luca Paolini. “You have acceleration in nominal growth, earnings are between 10 and 15 (percent higher) globally and whatever you look at is pretty much in double digits.”

After hitting all-time highs shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 8.81 points, or 0.04%, to end at 23,557.23, the S&P 500 lost 0.49 point, or 0.02%, to 2,590.64 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 18.65 points, or 0.27%, to 6,767.78.

Financial stocks led the US market lower, with the S&P 500 financial sector losing 1.3%, the largest decline of any sector. US Treasury debt yields hit a two-week low.

Oil prices fell slightly after posting the biggest rise in six weeks following a move by the Saudi crown prince to tighten his grip on power and crank up tensions between the kingdom and Iran. US crude fell 0.19% to $ 57.24 per barrel and Brent crude futures were last at $ 63.76, down 0.79% after touching a peak of $ 64.65.

The dollar was also on the move amid signs of more change at the Federal Reserve, while President Donald Trump’s Republican party pushes ahead with its tax cut program.

The dollar index rose 0.15%, with the euro down 0.17% to $1.1589, the euro zone single currency’s lowest since mid-July. The Japanese yen weakened 0.25% to 113.98 per dollar, while sterling was last trading at $ 1.3165, down 0.04% on the day. Benchmark 10-year US Treasury notes last rose 2/32 in price to yield 2.3145%, from 2.32% late on Monday.

The 30-year US bond last rose 13/32 in price to yield 2.7762%, from 2.796% late on Monday.

Germany’s 10-year bond yields held near two-month lows at 0.338% after the European Central Bank firmed up its plans to reinvest the proceeds of its 2.5 trillion euro stimulus program.