Les marchés américains des actions souffrent des attentes liées aux taux d'intérêt et des chocs des prix du pétrole

US futures and European stock markets were weaker on Thursday, driven by rising interest rates, oil price rises and geopolitical uncertainty. Yields on 30-year US Treasury bonds reached their highest level since 2004, weighing on market sentiment. The Nasdaq 100 lost around 1% before the start of trading, after having reached a record high. In particular, Meta (Meta Platforms) fell by 1.7% ahead of trading, after the stock had previously reacted strongly to AI developments. Chip prices such as Dropbox also fell by more than 4%, while MGM Resorts' takeover offer was withdrawn by a minority shareholder. In contrast, the prices of Everpure rose by 4.5% as the company impressed with a positive medium-term sales outlook. Oil prices rose again, with Brent crude at $106.50 per barrel and WTI crude at $94.67, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and possible export restrictions for diesel from the United States. The SNB kept its key interest rate at zero percent, while the ECB was under pressure from robust economic data and high oil prices, resulting in further rises in French government bond yields. In Switzerland, the SMI lost 0.23%, with Nestlé (+0.6%) and Novartis (+0.5%) acting as solid benchmarks. The DAX fell 0.8%, while the French CAC 40 came under equally strong pressure. Logitech (-3.8%) and UBS (-1.9%) were affected by profit-taking and regulatory risk, while technology stocks such as AMS Osram (-8.4%) and other chip companies were also under pressure. Chocolate companies such as Lindt&Sprüngli (+1.3%) and Barry Callebaut (+1.0%) benefited from more stable industry prospects, while Burckhardt Compression (-3.7%) suffered from cautious analyst valuations. The VIX index rose by 8.3%, indicating increased market uncertainty as interest rate expectations and geopolitical risks further weighed on sentiment.