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On Thursday, reports of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and fresh US sanctions on Iran weighed on sentiment, pushing crude oil prices higher.
Meanwhile, central banks, including the Bank of England, contributed to market uncertainty about tariffs, impacting risk sentiment. Higher tariffs could drive US import prices and inflation higher, possibly delaying Fed rate cuts and slowing growth.
In the bond markets, 10-year Treasury yields dipped below 4.2% before recovering to close at 4.241%.
US Labor Market and Manufacturing Weakness Raise Concerns
US initial jobless claims increased from 221k (week ending March 8) to 223k (week ending March 15). The four-week average also rose, signaling a potential softening in the US labor market. A softer labor market may impact wage growth and consumer spending, which accounts for over 60% of US GDP.
Nick Timiraos, Chief Economics Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, commented:
“The jobless claims data continue to show a picture of a somewhat less tight labor market compared to the last few years, but not one that is imminently getting meaningfully weaker.”
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