Investor sentiment improved in the first session of the week boosted by better-than-expected business sentiment indicators in advanced economies and a stabilization of investor's concerns over the coronavirus impact on the economy.
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Precaution and volatility continued to set the tone across financial markets on Thursday. Eurozone HICP inflation surprised on the upside (headline: 8.5% y/y in February after 8.6%; core: 5.6% after 5.3%) while, in the US, data showed unit labour cost accelerated in Q4 and new weekly jobless claims fell further last week.
Financial markets started the week with cautious optimism as headlines on the war in Ukraine continued to weigh on investors' sentiment. Today, Russian and Ukrainian delegates are holding meetings in Turkey, with the Ukrainian authorities reportedly willing to discuss neutrality and other conditions.
Global markets started the week with a mixed session. In Europe, stocks rose across the board and sovereign yields advanced as investors eyed negotiations over the EU stimulus plan ahead of the European Council.
In yesterday's session, investors traded with a risk-off mood following the downward revision of the European Commission forecasts. While 2022 GDP for the euro are was barely revised to 2.6%, 2023's changed from 2.3% to 1.4%. The EC revised its inflation forecasts from 6.1% and 2.7% to 7.6% and 4.0% for 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Yesterday's session was mixed across asset classes and regions. In the Eurozone, sovereign yields rose and peripheral spreads widened as countries grapple with the need for higher military spending. Separately, ECB's Schnabel argued the 2.75% rate is not undoubtedly restrictive, while ECB's Panetta argued that the consumer-led recovery is not materialising.
Yesterday's session was a quiet one, with investors assessing mixed signals of the progress toward a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East conflict, while US President Trump threatened of increasing the strikes would the Strait of Ormuz not reopen before noon today. Brent crude prices closed near $110/barrel after a choppy trading session.
Investors started the week on a slightly positive note, with US markets closed for the President's Day holiday. In the eurozone, government bond yields rose on the likelihood of increased public spending on defence. Peripheral spreads narrowed as German bonds came under some selling pressure ahead of Sunday's general election.
Yesterday's session opened with the negative tone seen in the previous days driven by the increase in covid-19 cases around the globe.
Stocks rallied in yesterday's session, supported by recovering economic data. In particular, U.S. nonfarm payrolls surged by 4.8 million in June –the largest increase on record, even though the unemployment rate still stood above 10% (11.1% in June down from 13.3% in May). Yet, U.S. sovereign yields nudged down and the USD strengthened.
In the last session of the week, investors traded cautiously amid fears of new covid-19 cases and doubts on a united ECB response in case further stimulus is required. European stock indices edged lower while EM equities surged, led by Chinese equities. US financial markets were closed because of the Independence Day.
Investors started the week with optimism and a risk-on mood. Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases around the globe, optimism surged on the back of better-than-expected business sentiment indicators.
Macroeconomic events and data releases shadowed latest developments of the Ukrainian war, as the ECB meeting and US CPI inflation centered stage in financial markets. On the latter, headline inflation rose as expected in February from 7.5% to 7.9% and core inflation rose from 6.0% to 6.4%.
A strong US jobs report for January, with the unemployment rate falling 0.1 p.p. to 4.0% (the lowest since May) and wage growth accelerating to 4.1% yoy from 3.9% in December, reaffirmed expectations of a cautious Fed this year. Expectations for the next interest rate cut were delayed to July/September, and the probability of a second rate cut fell below 50%.
Investors traded more cautiously in yesterday's session -in spite of the meeting between U.S. and Chinese trade officials, in which they reaffirmed the implementation of the phase-one trade deal which had been signed in January. In this context, U.S. and EM stocks advanced moderately, while European stock market indices were mixed.
On Friday, the release of HICP inflation data in the euro area centered the stage in financial markets. Headline inflation fell sharply from 8.5% to 6.9% y/y in March, but core inflation ticked up to 7.5% in a sign that price pressures are persisting. In this context, ECB member Villeroy de Galhau said there are still some more rate hikes to do.
European sovereign yields edged up on the back of upbeat comments from the ECB's Chief Economist Peter Praet, which gave investors greater confidence in the ECB's intentions to gradually wind down net asset purchases in the coming months.
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In yesterday's session, investors' concerns about the pace of economic activity in the coming months led to a generalized risk-off sentiment. In particular, the US manufacturing ISM declined from 47.7 to 46.3 while the prices paid subcomponent fell too (from 51.1 to 49.2).
A shocking inflation release in the US centered the stage yesterday in financial markets. Headline CPI rose in June by 9.1% y/y and 1.3 m/m, reinforcing the Federal Reserve intention to raise rates by 75bp again at its July meeting. Additionally, investors have started to price in a 100bp hike, in line with yesterday's decision of the Bank of Canada.