Stocks Pause New-Year Selloff; Oil Extends Rally: Markets Wrap.

Markets took a break from the recent selloff, with US equity futures showing small gains and Treasury yields approaching 4%. The S&P 500 futures fluctuated after a three-day decline, while Apple Inc. saw a dip due to concerns about iPhone inventory levels. Tesla Inc. experienced a climb as Cathie Wood began buying shares after selling them for most of last year. Oil prices continued to rise due to supply disruptions in Libya and conflict in the Middle East. The consensus among investors is that a market pullback was overdue after last year's surge in stocks. The Nasdaq 100 Index saw a 3% decline in two days, and swaps traders have been reducing their bets on rate cuts. European inflation data and the upcoming US jobs report will provide more insight into whether central banks can start lowering interest rates. The recent minutes from the Fed's December meeting suggested that rates could remain at restrictive levels for some time. Brent crude traded near $79 a barrel due to supply disruptions in Libya and attacks in Iran. The Stoxx 600 index in Europe rose 0.2%, driven by oil majors. Next Plc saw a rally after raising its profit forecast, while JD Sports Fashion Plc experienced a 20% drop in early trading due to weak sales. The yen weakened on speculation that it would be harder for the Bank of Japan to abolish negative interest rates after an earthquake hit the country. In currency markets, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index remained stable, the euro rose, [Extracted from the article]