European and U.S. stock futures rose as Australia's bigger-than- expected interest-rate cut spurred speculation central banks around the world will reduce borrowing costs to cushion their economies from the credit freeze. BP Plc, Europe's second-largest oil company, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc may follow their U.S.-traded securities higher after crude climbed for the first time in five days.
Asian shares pared losses, the yen retreated and Treasuries fell after Australia's central bank cut its benchmark rate by one percentage point. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index tumbled the most since 1987 yesterday as bank bailouts spread and falling commodities dragged down raw-materials producers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as much as 800 points yesterday, then recouped more than half its losses in the final 75 minutes of trading on speculation the Federal Reserve will lower rates. Futures on the Euro Stoxx 50, a benchmark for the euro region, gained 68, or 2.4 percent, to 2,943 at 7:45 a.m. in London.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index may climb 99, according to CMC Markets, a betting firm. Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 1.7 percent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 1.1 percent, after earlier dropping as much as 3.2 percent. ``European markets are pinning all their hopes on a series of coordinated rate cuts,'' said Oliver Stevens, head of dealing at IG Markets in Melbourne. The Stoxx 600, down 34 percent this year, is valued at 10.05 times the reported earnings of companies in the index, the cheapest since Bloomberg began compiling the data in January 2002. Rate Cut The yen fell from a three-year high against the euro, and Treasuries retreated for the first time in a week after Australia cut its key rate by the most since a recession in 1992 and twice as much as most economists forecast.
At least two dozen central banks around the world are scheduled to meet this month, according to Bloomberg data. The Bank of England, set to meet on Oct. 9, should cut its key lending rate by a half point to 4.5 percent, the British Chambers of Commerce said today. There's speculation ``that the next step will be for central banks to drop interest rates, possibly in a coordinated move,'' Matthew Buckland, a dealer at CMC Markets in London, wrote in a note to clients. ``This would certainly send a message to the markets, but again the success in sustaining a rally here would presumably be reliant on traders overlooking the panic aspects of this outcome.'' Bernanke, Trichet Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his fellow global policy makers may move to unblock markets for loans between banks and commercial paper as additional steps to combat the credit crisis.
Bernanke yesterday signaled he's preparing measures with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to unfreeze markets where loans aren't secured by assets. Bernanke is scheduled to speak on the economic outlook from 12:30 p.m. in Washington today. He and Paulson will meet with European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and their other Group of Seven major-nation counterparts Oct. 10 in Washington. Futures on the Chicago Board of Trade show a 58 percent probability the Fed will reduce its 2 percent target rate by three-quarters of a percentage point to 1.25 percent at its Oct. 29 meeting. Traders saw no chance of a cut of that magnitude a month ago. The odds of a half-point reduction are 42 percent.
Russian Delays Trading Russian regulators delayed the start of trading today on Moscow's Micex Stock Exchange and RTS after shares tumbled the most ever yesterday. European finance ministers failed to agree on steps to shore up the banking system hours after their countries' leaders pledged to do whatever was needed to restore confidence. There appeared to be little support for suggestions from France and Italy that Europe create a U.S.-style bank rescue fund at yesterday's monthly meeting of euro-area finance ministers in Luxembourg. The U.S. Congress approved a $700 billion plan to buy mortgages and other debt-related securities from banks last week. U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling discussed last night with leading bankers a plan to shore up the banks by channeling taxpayers' money into them, in effect partly nationalizing them, the Financial Times reported, citing unidentified government officials. BP's U.S.-traded securities ended the day 0.9 percent higher than the close in Europe. American depositary receipts of Shell, Europe's biggest oil company, finished 1.7 percent above the European close. Oil Rebounds Crude for November delivery jumped as much as $2.94, or 3.4 percent, to $90.75 a barrel in New York as some traders deemed yesterday's 6.5 percent decline excessive and investors speculated OPEC may announce output cuts at its December meeting as demand slows. Gasoline, natural gas and heating oil also rose.
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