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GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks steady as deal news helps; US yield curve flattens

Published 2018-04-30, 12:05 p/m
© Reuters.  GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks steady as deal news helps; US yield curve flattens
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* World stock index set for first monthly rise since January

* Easing of tensions between North and South Korea buoys sentiment

* M&A activity keep stocks in spotlight

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - Global stock indexes were flat to slightly higher after upbeat earnings and deal news on Monday, while the U.S. Treasury yield curve flattened for a third straight session after U.S. economic data missed expectations.

MSCI's all-country index of global equities .MIWD00000PUS was up 0.02 percent on the day, on track for a gain for April, its first positive month since January.

Starting off another busy week for first-quarter earnings, McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) MCD.N reported a better-than-expected rise in sales and its shares jumped 5.6 percent. Apple AAPL.O is set to report on Tuesday.

"If the previous several weeks of earnings season are any indication, corporate results should continue to act as a buffer to any meaningful turn lower in equity markets," said Peter Kenney, senior market strategist at Global Markets Advisory Group in New York.

Reports of big M&A deals, including U.S.-based Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC)'s MPC.N agreement to buy Andeavor ANDV.N , T-Mobile US's TMUS.O proposed merger with Sprint Corp S.N and a tie-up between British supermarket chains Sainsbury 's SBRY.L and Walmart (NYSE:WMT)'s ASDA, kept global stock markets firmly in the spotlight. Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 66.28 points, or 0.27 percent, to 24,377.47, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 3.43 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,666.48 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 20.39 points, or 0.29 percent, to 7,099.41.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 rose 0.18 percent.

Friday's seemingly successful summit between the leaders of North and South Korean added to positive market sentiment.

In the U.S. bond market, the yield gap between U.S. 5-year notes and U.S. 30-year bonds narrowed to 27.20 basis points US5US30=TWEB , the lowest spread in more than six years.

Data showed U.S. personal income rose just 0.3 percent in March, compared with expectations of 0.4 percent. On the consumption side, personal spending in February was revised lower to a rise of 0.3 percent, instead of the previously reported 0.4 percent increase.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RR last rose 3/32 in price to yield 2.9475 percent, from 2.957 percent late on Friday.

Weaker-than-expected German data hurt the euro against the U.S. dollar.

German monthly retail sales unexpectedly dropped in March, dampening cheer around a consumer-led upswing in Europe's biggest economy. Regional data showed annual inflation in four German states steady in April.

The dollar index .DXY rose 0.35 percent, with the euro EUR= down 0.47 percent to $1.2071.

The Federal Reserve is also due to meet this week, and while no rate hike in benchmark U.S. interest rates is expected, investors will look for clues on the future pace of increases.

U.S. crude CLcv1 rose 0.07 percent to $68.15 per barrel and Brent LCOcv1 was last at $74.23, up 0.6 percent.

For Reuters Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets open a news window on Reuters Eikon by pressing F9 and type in 'Live Markets' in the search bar.

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