London — World stocks and US bond markets on Monday shrugged off a government shutdown in Washington, although the dollar pulled back as the euro continued its strong start to the year. US treasury yields, which fell during previous government shutdowns, rose as investors saw limited economic fallout from the standoff in the US capital and instead focused on a global economy motoring ahead. European shares traded with little clear direction as markets focused on a flurry of mergers and acquisitions and progress towards an end to political deadlock in Germany. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was flat. Germany’s DAX was down 0.1%, France’s CAC-40 was down 0.2% and the UK’s FTSE was unchanged. The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was also flat. US stock futures were down marginally after Wall Street set record highs on Friday. Investors seem confident the conflict between President Donald Trump and Democrats can be resolved swiftly and the US avoid a prolo...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.