Stocks ended near flat as investors soaked in the latest round of big bank earnings. Improved risk sentiment pushed the dollar higher against major currencies, while gold declined. Oil prices eased amid uncertainties ahead of the major producers’ meeting. Treasuries yields advanced following corporate bond supply.
A sharp rebound in crude prices coupled with Apple’s gain lifted indexes in choppy trading. Sterling plunged to a seven-year low against the dollar on concerns Britons might vote to leave the European Union in a June referendum. Gold rose, acting as counter against risk and Treasuries ended little changed.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said she was “looking forward” to a U.S. interest rate hike that will be seen as a testament to the economy’s recovery from recession. The dollar gained against the euro after the Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen flagged an interest rate hike that may come in two weeks, while indexes