U.S. API crude oil inventories decreased by 2.1 million barrels in the week ending October 2

Savita Subramanian, Head of US Equity and Quantitative Strategy at Bank of America, stated that for the first time in decades, bonds have truly become a competitive alternative asset to the stock market. She also warned that investor sentiment is currently high, which means the stock market is more vulnerable to negative surprises and has relatively limited room for further upside surprises. Subramanian noted that the yield on the US 10-year Treasury bond has already surpassed 5%, while Bank of America's own valuation models indicate that the annualized return of the S&P 500 index over the next ten years may not reach this level. She pointed out that US policymakers are working to prevent long-term rates from rising too much. Both the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury Secretary are closely monitoring changes at the long end of the yield curve. Meanwhile, demographic shifts also mean that the ceiling for US interest rates may be lower than in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, artificial intelligence may bring some deflationary effects in the future, which could ease long-term inflation and interest rate pressures. In this context, Subramanian believes that the environment for bond allocation is becoming more favorable, as it may be difficult for US Treasury yields to consistently rise above 6% to 7%.

European Central Bank Governing Council member Dolenc stated that the ECB’s current monetary policy stance enables policymakers to respond to a variety of potential future shocks. Dolenc said on Wednesday that the current interest rate levels provide sufficient flexibility to deal with changing future circumstances. He added that the ECB’s future policy actions will still depend on inflation expectations and the development of related risks. In a speech in Ljubljana, Dolenc emphasized that geopolitical strategic risks and high energy prices remain significant sources of uncertainty, resulting in persistent inflationary pressures.

Barclays has lowered Netflix (NFLX.US) target price from $80 to $70.

Barclays has raised the target price for Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO.US) from $650 to $750.