Investors continued to trade with a risk-off mode, taking on board new hawkish comments from central bank officials and data showing job openings in the US unexpectedly rose in July. In addition, the flash HICP readings for both Spain and Germany showed inflation remained elevated in August (the eurozone aggregate will be released today).
Resultats de la cerca
During a volatile session, financial markets closed with mixed results, balancing out another upside surprise in HICP inflation data in the eurozone (up by 9.1% y/y in August) with signs that job creation in the US may have moderated in August (according to the ADP survey).
Investors ended the week with mixed results, with sentiment supported by data showing employment growth in the US slowed down in August, in line with expectations, while the jobless rate rose by 0.2 p. p. to 3.7%. In the eurozone, producer prices (PPI) rose by 37.9% y/y in July, fueling concerns that inflationary pressures are building up.
Financial markets started the week on a risk-off mood, as the Russian gas cut off worsened the European energy crisis and the region’s economic outlook.
Investors continued to trade with caution in anticipation of further monetary tightening by the Fed, despite ISM service sector survey in August was consistent with very solid growth in Q3. In the euro zone, the surveys anticipate the ECB will hike interest rates by, at least, 50 bp on Thursday.
Risk aversion continued to set the tone on Thursday, with sentiment hampered by fears that elevated inflation could keep central banks in a tightening cycle for longer and the increasing threat of energy rationing in Europe this winter.
On Friday, investors continued to weigh the hawkish monetary policy agenda of the main central banks and the upside surprises on inflation data. In the euro area, headline HICP inflation jumped from 9.1% to 10.0% and core inflation increased by 0.5pp to 4.8% yoy.
Monetary policy tightening centered the stage again, with several US Federal Reserve members arguing that interest rates needed to be hiked further and that there were no clear signs of inflation having peaked yet. In the euro area, the accounts of the last ECB meeting revealed a broad-based concern of GC members about current inflation figures.
In yesterday's session, investors continued to trade with an upbeat tone amid better-than-expected corporate profits releases and macroeconomic data. In particular, the US industrial production in September rose by 0.4% m/m and the Zew survey expectations index for Germany and the euro area edged up modestly in October.
Investors closed the week trading cautiously under a volatile setting, still digesting political developments in the UK and signs of lingering inflationary pressures. In Europe, natural gas prices fell notably, following reports that Germany is likely to support a price cap to be included in the next EU package, to be agreed in coming weeks.
In yesterday's session, monetary policy took center stage again as US Federal Reserve comments pointed to a higher terminal interest rate than anticipated by financial markets. Investors priced in these comments and yields on sovereign bonds rose in the euro area and, especially, in the US.
In the last session of the week, investors weighed better-than-expected economic data in the euro area with mixed signals from central banks about the pace of rate hikes in the coming meetings, including from ECB member Schnabel.
Risk aversion continued to dominate in yesterday's session, with the key themes remaining the COVID situation in China and hawkish comments by central bank officials. In the euro area, both Christine Lagarde and Joachim Nagel said that inflation will remain elevated and might not have peaked yet, justifying a tighter monetary policy stance.
Investors traded cautiously in yesterday's session amid lower-than-expected inflation data in some euro area countries. In particular, November HICP year-on-year inflation decreased 0.3pp and 0.7pp in Germany and Spain to 11.3% and 6.6%, respectively.
A speech by the president of the Federal Reserve, reinforcing the expectation that the central bank will hike rates by 50bp in December, centered the stage in yesterday’s session. In the euro area, headline inflation decreased in November from 10.6% to 10.0% y/y while the core measure remained unchanged at 5.0%.
Ahead of today's key CPI data release in the US, which is expected to show a deceleration in inflation, investors traded cautiously. Yields on 10-year sovereign bonds edged modestly up in the euro area while increasing more notably in the US.
Investors started the year trading with a risk-on mode, taking on board data showing receding inflationary pressures in Europe, a slowdown in economic growth in the US and a further decline in energy prices across the globe. As a result, investors revised down modestly their expectations for future policy interest rate hikes.
In the last session of the week, investors continued to trade with a risk-on mode, taking on board the fall in HICP inflation in the eurozone (9.2% in December after 10.1%) and the US employment report for December. On balance, the data suggested central banks will continue hiking policy interest rates but likely at a reduced pace.
Financial markets started the week trading with no clear direction, swinging between modest gains and losses across equity markets in Europe and Asia, during a session characterized by low volumes due to a national holiday in the US.
In the last session of the week, yields on sovereign bonds rose markedly, particularly so in the euro area, and stock indices advanced across the board. The surprise in the PPI m/m inflation in Germany (-0.4% vs consensus -1.2%) and the hawkish comments from ECB GC member Holzmann contributed to the increase in yields.