In the last session of the week, financial markets' sentiment was dominated by optimism as investors read positively the latest U.S. labour market data and the comments of Fed President, Jerome Powell, suggesting a more flexible pace of the upcoming interest rate hikes.
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Investors traded with caution in the first session of the week. Looming trade negotiation deadlines and the EU's possible retaliatory measures triggered safe-haven flows and a rally in global bonds, with sharp declines in 10-year euro area sovereign yields and narrower peripheral spreads. Gold rose and the EUR strengthened towards $1.17.
Implied volatility declined and stock markets rose across the board in the first session of the week as investors digested the truce agreed by Presidents Trump and Xi in the G20's meeting.
Markets ended the week with a mixed session. Optimism over trade deals continued to support U.S. equity markets, sending the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to new record highs, while euro area stocks ended mostly lower as investors traded cautiously awaiting news of a trade deal. Sovereign yields were little changed after the ECB meeting and Trump's visit to the Fed.
The Federal Reserve held the federal funds rate at 4,25%-4,50%, citing solid labor market conditions and above-target inflation. Financial markets made a hawkish reading of the Fed's accompanying statement and pushed back expectations of the next cut from September to October. The probability of a second cut in December dropped from 80% to 40%.
Renewed fears about inflation and fiscal discipline prompted a broad sovereign bond sell-off. The Japanese 20-year bond yield reached levels not seen since 1999, the 30-year UK yield touched highs from 1998, and the yields on the 30-year US Treasury came close to 5%. Risk-off sentiment spread to global stock markets which pared losses during the session.
Pessimism about a breakthrough in trade tensions drove global stocks down in the first session of the week. In the U.S., losses were exacerbated by weakness in the technology sector and the major indices were down by more than 1.5%.
Markets were mixed in yesterday's session. Global stock markets advanced and U.S. sovereign yields nudged down as the U.S. CPI report did not depress investor expectations about Fed cuts. In Europe, the euro strengthened on the back of a hawkish reading of the ECB's meeting, German sovereign yields nudged up but peripheral spreads ticked down.
Investors traded cautiously during yesterday's session ahead of the FOMC meeting today, in which the Fed is expected to lower interest rates by 25bp (see our take here). US Treasury yields edged down, euro area sovereign yields were flat, and stocks fell on both sides of the Atlantic. The euro rose against the dollar to its highest in 4 years, close to 1.187.
Stock markets posted gains in the last session of the week. In the U.S., the S&P 500 advanced by +0.1 percent after swinging back from early-trading losses, while in Europe the main indices registered more solid gains.
With little macro news to trade on, markets had a somewhat quiet session. Sovereign yields were mostly flat around the largest economies, with the exception of the US, where an increase in supply of government bonds drove long-term yields slightly higher. The dollar strengthened, following Fed's chair Powell cautious comments regarding future easing.
Global stock markets were mixed as investors gauge the implications of the latest changes in the Trump administration, especially after the declarations of the new White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow that signaled support for a strong dollar and took a tough line on China.
Most of the developed stock markets kept registering small gains yesterday while yields on sovereign bonds picked up. In the U.S., the yield on the 10-year Treasury increased by 7 basis points and reached 2.55% for the first time in more than 9 months.
In the first trading session of the year, stock markets rose in the U.S. and they were mixed in Europe, declining in core countries and advancing in the Euro Area periphery.
In the last trading session before Christmas, stock markets declined and long-term sovereign yields remained stable (with the exception of Portugal, whose risk premium undid part of the week's strong decline as investors are still calibrating the implications of the improved sovereign rating)
Markets were mixed in yesterday's session as the U.S. government shutdown clouded data releases. Technology equities drove the U.S.' Nasdaq to record highs, while the S&P 500 was barely changed and euro area stocks were mixed. Sovereign yields nudged down and the USD inched higher. Brent oil prices continued to fall ahead of the weekend's OPEC+ meeting.
European investors began the week with a risk-off tone, as US markets were closed for the Martin Luther King holiday. Sentiment deteriorated after Trump announced plans to impose new tariffs on European countries siding with Denmark in the Greenland dispute and the EU hinted at possible retaliation.
Financial markets ended Friday on a mixed note ahead of a long weekend in the US, where markets are closed today for Martin Luther King Day. US Treasury yields moved higher following mixed macro data: industrial production rose, while the NAHB Index signaled continued weakness in housing construction. European sovereign yields also edged up, with the French spread widening after PM Lecornu announced it will amend again the budget draft to secure parliamentary approval.
During yesterday's session, Government bond yields fell on both sides of the Atlantic ahead of several central bank meetings this week. The ECB meets on Thursday, with markets pricing an almost sure decision of keeping depo rate at 2%. Other banks meeting are the BoE (expected to cut to 3.75%) and the BoJ (expected to hike to 0.75%).
Yesterday's was another volatile session, with markets assessing the fragility of the recent ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, as Israel maintains its attacks against Lebanon. Brent crude prices closed higher at USD 96/barrel after briefly touching USD 93 during the session, while TTF natural gas prices closed down -3%.