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| World markets rise on US rate cut | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Financial markets have risen sharply after the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in four years. | |
| In Europe, London's FTSE 100 and France and Germany's key markets all opened about 2% higher. | |
| Japan's Nikkei index closed up 3.7% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 4%. | |
| The Fed cut its benchmark federal funds rate from 5.25% to 4.75%, sending US shares up sharply. | The Fed cut its benchmark federal funds rate from 5.25% to 4.75%, sending US shares up sharply. |
| Analysts had expected a cut to prevent a housing market downturn and the credit crunch from denting the economy, but the size of the cut surprised many. | Analysts had expected a cut to prevent a housing market downturn and the credit crunch from denting the economy, but the size of the cut surprised many. |
| Some had also argued that the Fed should leave rates on hold in order to focus on controlling inflation. | |
| One-off? | One-off? |
| The tightening of credit conditions has the potential to intensify the housing (market) correction and to restrain economic growth more generally US Federal Reserve href="/1/hi/business/6999821.stm">Fed cuts US rates Japan keeps rates on hold | |
| Japanese investors carefully watch the US economy because it is Japan's biggest export market. | Japanese investors carefully watch the US economy because it is Japan's biggest export market. |
| Concerns that recent woes in the US mortgage market may hit US economic growth have depressed Japanese share prices. | Concerns that recent woes in the US mortgage market may hit US economic growth have depressed Japanese share prices. |
| In Tokyo, where Japan's central bank kept interest rates on hold on Wednesday, the Nikkei 225 index jumped 579.74 points to close at 16,381.54 points, having lost some of the momentum seen in morning trading. | |
| "The market is now watching to see if Wall Street rallies again, or if yesterday's moves were a one-off thing, with attention on brokerage earnings results," said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Shinko Securities. | "The market is now watching to see if Wall Street rallies again, or if yesterday's moves were a one-off thing, with attention on brokerage earnings results," said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Shinko Securities. |
| By cutting rates the Fed would be boosting the US economy by making it cheaper to borrow money Send us your comments Q&A: What the rate cut means | By cutting rates the Fed would be boosting the US economy by making it cheaper to borrow money Send us your comments Q&A: What the rate cut means |
| The Hang Seng index was up 1,004 points, or 4.1%, at 25,581.13 in afternoon trading. | |
| US shares had also performed well after the Fed's move. | |
| By the close of trade, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 2.5% at 13 739.39, the S&P 500 Index added 2.9% to 1,519.78 and the Nasdaq gained 2.7% to 2,651.66. | |