ECONOMY & MARKETS

Wall Street's main indexes jumped on Wednesday, propelled by technology and financial stocks, as signs of progress in Ukraine-Russia peace talks lifted sentiment ahead of a widely expected interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 closed up more than 2% while the Nasdaq rallied almost 4% on Wednesday as investors shrugged off initial jitters following the U.S.

Gold steadied on Wednesday, with a weaker dollar offsetting pressure from higher U.S.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will affect the entire global economy by slowing growth and jacking up inflation, and could fundamentally reshape the global economic order in the longer term, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday.

European stocks rose to near two-week highs on Wednesday after China promised to roll out more stimulus to boost its economy, while hopes of progress in Ukraine-Russia peace talks kept the mood buoyant.

European stocks closed at over two-week highs on Wednesday after fresh talks of compromise from Russia and Ukraine boosted gains spurred by China's promise to roll out more economic stimulus.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday will close the door on its ultra-easy pandemic-era monetary policy and step up the fight against stubbornly high inflation with the first in what is likely to be a series of interest rate hikes

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point and laid out an aggressive plan to push borrowing costs to restrictive levels by next year as concerns about high inflation and the war in Ukraine overtook the risks of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point and laid out an aggressive plan to push borrowing costs to restrictive levels by next year as concerns about high inflation and the war in Ukraine overtook the risks of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised interest rates for the first time since 2018 and laid out an aggressive plan to push borrowing costs to restrictive levels next year in a pivot from battling the coronavirus pandemic to countering the economic risks posed by excessive inflation and the war in Ukraine.

The dollar index turned up for the day on Wednesday shortly after the U.S.

The dollar fell on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve moved to a hawkish monetary policy but without delivering a tougher surprise that might have added to its weeks-long momentum.

Prospects of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Chinese stimulus and an imminent U.S. interest rate rise lifted stocks and U.S. Treasury yields on Wednesday.

Oil lost ground for the fifth time in the last six days on Wednesday as traders reacted to hoped-for progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and a surprising increase in U.S.

The economic cost of Russia's assault on Ukraine was fully exposed on Wednesday as Vladimir Putin's sanctions-ravaged government teetered on the brink of its first international debt default since the Bolshevik revolution.

The economic cost of Russia's assault on Ukraine was further exposed on Wednesday as the sanctions-hit country teetered on the brink of its first default on international debt since the Bolshevik revolution.

The London Metal Exchange (LME) halted nickel trading on its electronic system almost immediately on Wednesday in a chaotic resumption of business for a market that has been in limbo for over a week.

South Korea's annual unemployment rate fell to the lowest on record in February, with jobs growth staying at a near 22-year-high, though the increase was mainly due to a low base and the government's fiscal spending.

Japanese manufacturers' business confidence improved for the first time in three months in March, as automakers became less pessimistic, though firms feared a fresh surge in energy prices due to the Ukraine crisis, the Reuters Tankan poll showed.

Japan's top firms have offered pay rises of around 2% or more as annual labour talks wrap up on Wednesday, a boost from last year's razor-thin increase but still unlikely to kick-start demand in the moribund economy.

Japanese accountant Masamitsu has not travelled or gone to the cinema in years and rarely eats out.

Japan will revoke Russia's most-favoured nation trade status as part of further sanctions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, two people with direct knowledge with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Japan will revoke Russia's most-favoured nation trade status as part of further sanctions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.

India is rolling out measures to help the country become a major exporter of high-quality wheat as importers scramble for supplies after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two government sources said.

Britain's lowest-paid workers have seen the biggest squeeze on their pay over the past 12 months, according to figures on Tuesday which suggest the cost of living crisis is likely to prove even more painful than headline figures imply.

Gold fell nearly 2% on Tuesday to a two week trough as hopes of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine coupled with the likelihood of a U.S.

Argentina, already battling annual inflation running at over 50%, is braced for prices heating up further due to spiking global commodities costs that are being exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Argentina's monthly inflation rocketed to 4.7% in February, the state statistics agency said on Tuesday, the highest since March 2021 and far above forecasts as the South American country's president promised a "war" against spiraling prices.

In times of crisis, not much in financial markets roars "safe haven" louder than the Japanese yen.