Investor sentiment was mixed across the globe on Friday. In the eurozone, government bond yields rose as preliminary PMI data for January came in above expectations thanks to a slight improvement in the manufacturing sector to 46.1. US Treasury yields fell as both the services PMI and the U. of Michigan consumer sentiment index surprised to the downside.
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In the last session of the week, the stronger-than-expected US labor market indicators for June eased investors' recession fears. Non-farm payrolls increased by 372k (from 384k in May), the unemployment rate stood at 3.6% and wages rose by 5.1% y/y, which all together fuels the Fed's intention to raise rates by 75bp at its next meeting.
In the first session of the week, investors searched for catalysts as they positioned ahead of a key CPI data in the US on Wednesday and the start of the earnings season.
Yesterday investors continued to digest the messages from central bank officials, who, in general, have toughened the stance against inflation and show a more hawkish tone. In this context, yields on sovereign bonds rose further in the eurozone, more notably in the periphery, while remaining broadly unchanged in the US.
Investors ended the week on a cautious, yet slightly positive note. All eyes were on the trade talks between China and the US that took place over the weekend. Trump floated in social media an alternative tariff level of 80% on Friday (compared to the current 145%). Both sides have touted progress in the talks, but have offered few details so far.
Financial markets reversed part of the large movements from the previous session following the US January CPI report. Sovereign bond yields fell on both sides of the Atlantic, while equity markets recovered most notably in the US. The VIX volatility index fell below 15 once again.
Investors ended the week with a mixed session. Euro area sovereign yields continued to rise on the back of a hawkish reading of the ECB's tone, while US yields had only modest gains following sessions with sharp declines ahead of the Fed's meeting. The euro-dollar cross remained at 1.17 and stocks were mostly flat on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the last session of the week, higher-than-expected US PPI inflation data in January (0.3% m/m from -0.1% in the previous month) pushed back the expectations of interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and favored an increase in sovereign bond yields on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tuesday saw another volatile session in the financial markets. Risk appetite rebounded from the Asian session on hopes of Trump's willingness to negotiate tariffs with some partners, which extended into the European session and the start of the US session. Asian and european stocks rose and while eurozone government bond yields rose slightly.
Positive session for stock markets in the U.S. and the euro area, with declines in sovereign bond yields on both sides of the Atlantic, as investors await the Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday. The euro appreciated slightly against the dollar, rising to 1.176.
Markets had a choppy session on the day of the FOMC's meeting. US Treasury yields initially fell, stocks gained and the dollar fell on the announcement of the widely expected 25bp rate cut. But all later reversed course as investors digested a disperse dot plot which signaled a large group of the FOMC still remains hawkish. Treasury yields rose and stocks ended mostly flat.
Investors kicked-off the week on a cautious tone. US Treasury yields continued to tick slightly higher, following the tendency of the last sessions. Global equities were mixed, rising in the US and declining across the euro area. A study published by the ECB found eurozone consumers have been shifting away from US goods and reducing overall discretionary spending.
Investors recovered some risk appetite in the last session of the week. Advanced-economy stocks rebounded after a few mixed sessions, while the USD weakened on expectations that the Fed may continue cutting rates in the coming weeks. Commodity prices rose across the board.
Investors ended the week with a mixed session as the US government shutdown, which prevented the release of the employment report, clouded sentiment. Sovereign yields edged lower in the euro area and stocks mostly advanced, while US Treasury yields ended higher, and equities were mostly flat weighed down by the underperformance of tech stocks.
Financial markets recorded yet another session with high volatility, with the key drivers remaining the direction of monetary policy, the escalation in tensions with Russia and the strength of the USD.
In the first session of the week, investors traded with optimism, after the worse-than-expected US ISM data for September let traders to think the Fed could pursue a less aggressive monetary policy stance than previously expected. Nevertheless, NY Fed President John Williams said that there is still job to do to curb inflation.
In yesterday's session, investors maintained their appetite for riskier assets, after a drop in the number of job vacancies in the US fueled expectations of a monetary policy pivot from the Fed. In this direction, the central bank of Australia decided to hike rates by 25bp, slowing down the pace of its tightening.
In the last session of the week, investors digested the hawkish comments offered by key central bank officials in the US Federal Reserve and ECB. In the former, Michelle Bowmen and Thomas Barkin signaled that interest rates will need to raise further but warned against reading too much into January’s retail sales and employment data.
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.
Markets were mixed in yesterday's session as uncertainty about the situation in France and the US government shutdown continued to dampen investors' sentiment. Sovereign yields edged higher on both sides of the Atlantic and the euro weakened to $1.15 against the dollar. Euro area stocks were mixed and US stocks fell as the tech-fueled rally took a pause.