Global stocks dip after election rally, Europe bond yields climb

By Chuck Mikolajczak

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks in major world markets fell on Friday as sectors that rallied in the wake of the U.S. Presidential election pulled back as investors took profit, while a global bond market rout continued on expectations of higher interest rates.

Since the election on Tuesday, investors have flooded into areas such as banking that are expected to reap rewards from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's campaign promises of tax cuts, higher defence and infrastructure spending, and bank deregulation. The expansionary policy is expected to lead to inflation.

The U.S. sectors that benefited, including healthcare, shed some gains on Friday, though the longer-term view is that they will continue to advance. The S&P healthcare index <.SPXHC> slipped 1.4 percent on the session but is up 5.9 percent on the week and poised for its best week in over two years.

 

"The market this week has been exceptionally strong and when you see a massive rally like this, it is perfectly normal to see some profit-taking," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of 50 Park Investments.

"The market has earned the right to pause a little bit to digest that move."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 5.88 points, or 0.03 percent, to 18,813.76, the S&P 500 <.SPX> lost 5.57 points, or 0.26 percent, to 2,161.91 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 16.59 points, or 0.32 percent, to 5,225.38.

The spectre of higher interest rates continued to drive bond yields higher, but with the U.S. Treasury market closed for Veterans' Day, the bond selling centred on Europe. Italy's benchmark 10-year yield > climbed to touch its highest in 16 months.

The dollar <.DXY> continued to strengthen, up 0.2 percent against a basket of major currencies and 2 percent for the week. The greenback was on pace for its biggest weekly percentage gain in a year.

That strength in the dollar slammed emerging markets, as did concerns Trump may begin to enact protectionist measures once he takes office. The MSCI emerging markets index <.MSCIEF> dropped 3.3 percent and was on track for its worst week in six months.

The weakness in emerging markets dented European stocks, with Europe's index of leading 300 shares <.FTEU3> off 0.6 percent but up 2.8 percent for the week. MSCI's all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> lost 0.6 percent but was on pace for its best week in seven.

The Mexican peso > continued to weaken against the dollar, and was off more than 3 percent after touching a record low of 21.395.

Gold > dropped 2.9 percent to $1,222.66 an ounce after touching a session low of $1,219.40, the weakest since June 3, and was down more than 6 percent for the week, its worst week in 3-1/2 years.

Copper pulled back after a sharp rally this week on expectations of an infrastructure boost from Trump's policies. The metal was 0.7 percent lower at $5,560.50 a tonne but was still up more than 11 percent on the week and set for its best week in five years.

Both Brent and U.S. crude dropped more than 2 percent after OPEC said October output reached another record while Baker Hughes data showed U.S. oil drillers increased rigs this week for a 21th week in the last 24.

(Additional reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan; Editing by Bernadette Baum)