Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Tuesday, July 5:
1. Pound falls below post-Brexit low; hits weakest level since 1985
The British pound fell to a daily low of $1.3115 against the dollar, its weakest level since 1985, as the ramifications of the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union continued to sink in. It last stood at 1.3150 by 9:55GMT, or 5:55AM ET, down 1.05%.
Against the euro, the pound also skidded by more than 1% to 0.8478, after falling to 0.8382, its lowest since late October 2013.
In its bi-annual Financial Stability Report released earlier in the day, the Bank of England announced that it would cut the counter-cyclical buffer on bank lending to 0% from 0.5%. BoE Governor Mark Carney is scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:00GMT, or 6:00AM ET, to discuss the report.
On the data front, research group Markit said its U.K. services purchasing managers’ index dropped to 52.3 last month from 53.5 in May, adding to concerns over the effects of the Brexit vote on the British economy.
2. Global stock markets slide as Brexit fears persist
Global stocks were mostly lower on Tuesday, as fears over the Brexit fallout again took a toll on markets.
Asian shares snapped a five-day winning streak as investors took stock of a rally driven by hopes that central banks will provide more stimulus to offset a likely downturn triggered by Brexit.
Meanwhile, European stocks sold off, with Germany’s DAX down more than 1%, as Brexit fears gripped the market.
Elsewhere, U.S. stock market futures pointed to steep losses at the open, as investors returning from the long holiday weekend kept an eye on the fallout from the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union.
3. Global bond yields tumble in risk-off trade
Global bond yields tumbled on Tuesday, as uncertainty surrounding global growth in wake of Britain’s vote to exit the EU sent investors flooding into safe haven assets.
The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, pushed lower to a record 1.378%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was down at 2.144%.
In Europe, U.K. 10-year gilt yields dropped to an all-time low of 0.785%, while German 10-year bonds yields slumped to -0.159%. The Japan 10-Year yield also dropped to fresh record lows.
4. Jitters over Italian banking sector grow
Jitters over the health of the vulnerable Italian banking sector mounted after reports surfaced that the country is considering injecting fresh capital into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA to boost the finances of Italy’s third-biggest bank, which is saddled with a mountain of bad loans.
Italy would seek to use Article 32 of the European Union’s Bank Resolution directive that allows temporary state aid if a bank is likely to fail the next stress test by European regulators.
This comes after the European Central Bank asked BMPS to slash its bad debts by over 40% by 2018, according to reports on Monday.
The news sent shares of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA (MI:BMPS) down nearly 10% to an all-time low of 0.297 euros.
5. Oil prices drop with Brent falling below $49, WTI under $48
Oil prices were under heavy selling pressure on Tuesday, as investors fled anything considered a risky asset amid concerns over the global economy.
Brent tumbled $1.10, or 2.2%, to $48.99 a barrel, after hitting a session low of $48.85, while U.S. crude sank $1.34, or 2.75%, to $47.65 a barrel.