S&P 500 Climbs 2% Amid Rally Led by Small Caps: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Stocks climbed as confidence returned to markets, with investors shaking off concern about the impacts of higher Treasury yields.

Companies tied to economic reopenings and faster growth led the gains on Monday amid a broad-based rally. The S&P 500 was on track for its biggest advance in almost four months, while the Russell 2000 of small caps outperformed major benchmarks. Johnson & Johnson jumped after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended its Covid-19 shot. Zoom Video Communications Inc. advanced ahead of its quarterly results. Benchmark Treasuries were little changed. The dollar fell.

*Source From Tiger Trade, EST 10:38

After a week of intense volatility in bond markets, investors piled back into risk assets. Stocks rebounded following a two-week selloff that was triggered by concern that progress in battling the coronavirus as well as massive stimulus have left some areas of the economy at risk of possibly overheating.

“Equity investors are still looking at the rise in rates mostly as ‘a good thing’ and not yet as a threat, notwithstanding some shaking of the tree in high multiple stocks and other parts of the market last week,” wrote Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. “The benefits of the vaccines versus the challenge of higher rates will be the theme this year.”

Bitcoin rallied after a volatile weekend session, riding a broad resurgence in risk assets and a bullish report from Citigroup Inc. The bank’s strategists laid out a case for the digital asset to play a bigger role in the global financial system, saying the cryptocurrency could become “the currency of choice for international trade” in the years ahead.

There are some key events to watch this week:

U.S. Federal Reserve Beige Book is due Wednesday.OPEC+ meeting on output Thursday.U.S. factory orders, initial jobless claims and durable goods orders are due Thursday.The February U.S. employment report on Friday will provide an update on the speed and direction of the nation’s labor market recovery.

These are some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

The S&P 500 Index surged 2% as of 10:27 a.m. New York time.The Stoxx Europe 600 Index surged 1.8%.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 1.8%.The MSCI Emerging Market Index climbed 1.8%.

Currencies

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dipped 0.2%.The euro declined 0.3% to $1.2042.The Japanese yen was little changed at 106.54 per dollar.

Bonds

The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose less than one basis point to 1.41%.Germany’s 10-year yield sank eight basis points to -0.34%.Britain’s 10-year yield decreased seven basis points to 0.747%.

Commodities

West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.5% to $61.80 a barrel.Gold added 0.2% to $1,738.29 an ounce.Silver strengthened 0.7% to $26.86 per ounce.