Stocks gain as earnings provide some optimism; 10-yr yield climbs

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock indexes around the world jumped on Tuesday as U.S. technology shares extended recent gains and earnings reports were upbeat, while the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose to its highest in more than four months.

The U.S. dollar was lower on the day as other currencies, including sterling, were supported by investor expectations that interest rates could be increased sooner than some had forecast.

On Wall Street, the technology sector boosted the S&P 500 the most, while recent stronger-than-expected results have bumped up the forecast for S&P 500 earnings for the third quarter.

Investors remain worried, however, about the impact that higher costs, supply disruptions and labor shortages are having on companies.

"The key for the market to going up from here will not be higher multiples, it will have to be higher earnings. That's why it's so important to pay attention to what those profit margins do going forward and what the trajectory of GDP looks like," said Eric Marshall, portfolio manager at Hodges Funds.

Among U.S. companies reporting results on Tuesday, insurer Travelers Cos Inc beat estimates for third-quarter profit and its shares rose. Johnson & Johnson raised its 2021 adjusted profit forecast and its shares jumped 2.3%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 198.7 points, or 0.56%, to 35,457.31, the S&P 500 gained 33.17 points, or 0.74%, to 4,519.63 and the Nasdaq Composite added 107.28 points, or 0.71%, to 15,129.09.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.33% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe < .MIWD00000PUS> gained 0.73%.

The MSCI index reached its highest in about a month.

MSCI World Index https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/zgvomrjmavd/world%20stocks%20oct%2019.PNG

The dollar index against a basket of other currencies was last down 0.22% on the day at 93.73, after earlier dropping to 93.50, the lowest since Sept. 28.

The euro gained 0.25% to $1.1640. Currencies, including sterling and the New Zealand dollar, are benefiting from rising interest rate increase expectations.

Bitcoin last rose 3.49% to $64,201.08.

In the U.S. Treasury market, the yield curve widened, reversing the recent trend.

In afternoon U.S. trading, U.S. 10-year yields were last up nearly six basis points at 1.6407%. The yield hit a 4-1/2-month peak of 1.6440%.

The U.S. 5-year yield, which has been on a tear the last two weeks, was last down at 1.1586%.

Oil prices climbed and were near multi-year highs as an energy supply crunch continued across the globe. Brent crude rose 75 cents to settle at $85.08 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures rose 52 cents to settle at $82.96.

In other commodities, U.S. gold futures gained 0.15% to $1,769.70 an ounce.

(Additional reporting by Tommy Wilkes in London, Shreyashi Sanyal and Devik Jain in Bengaluru, Karen Brettell, Stephanie Kelly and Sinead Carew in New York, and Saikat Chatterjee; Editing by Jason Neely, John Stonestreet, Steve Orlofsky and Cynthia Osterman)

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 19, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside the entrance of the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain. Aug 23, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

FILE PHOTO: A man looks at stock market monitors in Taipei January 22, 2008. REUTERS/Nicky Loh

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