Black Friday is Now! Don’t miss out on up to 60% OFF InvestingProCLAIM SALE

GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares dive on shock U.S. payrolls data

Published 12/05/2008, 09:09 AM

* US employers cut 533,000 jobs in November

* World shares extend loss, down 1 percent

* Dlr/yen down, bonds up, mkts see risk of big Fed rate cut

By Veronica Brown

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - World share prices slid on Friday, while government bonds rose and the dollar dropped against the yen after U.S. employers axed a shocking 533,000 jobs in November for the weakest performance in 34 years.

The dire non-farm payrolls report reflected the mounting toll of a deepening recession on the U.S. labour market, raising implied chances of an aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate cut this month.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent last month, the highest reading since 1993, compared with 6.5 percent in October, after widespread losses across the country's major industrial sectors.

November's job losses were the steepest since December 1974, when 602,000 jobs were shed. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a reduction of 340,000 jobs.

"It's just a disaster. You've got the biggest job losses in 35 years and on top of that about 200,000 of backward revisions," said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. Economist, at RBS Greenwich.

Futures fully price a 50 basis point U.S. interest rate cut, which would take the fed funds rate to 0.50 percent. The implied prospects for a cut to 0.25 percent jumped to 76 percent from 64 percent late on Thursday.

The euro zone, Britain, Sweden, New Zealand and Denmark all cut interest rates aggressively on Thursday.

World share prices as measured by MSCI's all-country index extended early losses to fall 1.2 percent, while U.S. stock futures were down around 2 percent -- pointing to a lower Wall Street open.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes were trading 10/32 higher in price for a yield of 2.52 percent compared with 2.56 percent late on Thursday. Benchmark yields, which move inversely to prices, are trading at the lowest in over five decades. Oil fell towards $42 a barrel. (Reporting by Veronica Brown; Editing by David Stamp)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.