In yesterday's session volatility declined as investors celebrated the speech of Janet Yellen. In her confirmation hearing to become the new US Treasury Secretary, Yellen urged lawmakers to "act big" on the next fiscal package and focus initially on public health and widespread vaccinations. Today Joe Biden takes office as US president.
Cerca a CaixaBank Research
Resultats de la cerca
2022 resultats per a Roles of education in the development process
Volatility increased in the first session of the week as investors pondered over worsening pandemic dynamics. Stocks were mixed, advancing moderately in the U.S. and in emerging Asia while retreating across euro area core and peripheral countries.
An improving health situation in the US combined with the prospect of a bipartisan stimulus package have led to a 1.6% jump in the S&P 500 on Monday, its largest daily gain in two months.
In the last session of the week, investor sentiment continued to improve amid a positive earnings season (51% of US companies reported a +10% surprise in earnings) and a mixed employment report in the US.
Investors started the week on a positive note. Stocks rose across advanced and emerging economies on the back of optimism over the economic outlook. Positive market sentiment also led to higher commodity prices, and Brent oil prices nudged past $60.
In yesterday's session, investor sentiment improved on the back of positive corporate earnings releases and the expectation of continuing support from the fiscal and monetary policies.
Markets ended the week on a positive note as investors continued to eye negotiations on a new fiscal package in the U.S. Volatility declined and stocks rose across advanced and emerging economies. Commodity prices also benefited from positive sentiment and ended the session higher.
Investors traded in a mixed mood on Friday as they became more confident in the economic recovery but also pondered the possibility of rising inflation.
In yesterday's session investors traded cautiously. Stock indices declined in the US, particularly so the tech-heavy Nasdaq, and were mixed in the euro area.
European stocks and bond yields fell yesterday as Italy, France, Germany and Spain suspend vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine over worries about the jabs' side-effects. Meanwhile, Italy has taken more stringent lockdown measures. The Eurostoxx50 was down by 0.1%.
Investors traded in a positive mood yesterday as the European stock market rose 0.6% on the back of good earnings reports and positive soft data. In Germany, the ZEW business expectations index rose to 71.2 in March from 61.8 in February, its highest level in months. Euro area periphery sovereign yields widened slightly.
During yesterday's meeting, the Federal Reserve sharply upgraded its forecasts for growth in the U.S. and signalled that interest rates would remain unchanged until at least 2024 and that it would continue to buy bonds at a pace of $120 billion per month until it made "substantial further progress" towards its goals.
Markets closed the week with a mixed session on Friday. A jump in U.S. producer price inflation (+4.2% yoy in March after +2.8% in February) led to a steepening of global sovereign yield curves and a mixed performance in most stock markets (with the exception of the U.S., where equities posted a third-straight weekly rally).
Markets shrugged off a jump in U.S. inflation and the halt in Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and investors continued to favor risk assets in yesterday's session. Stocks and commodity prices advanced while the USD weakened moderately against the major currencies.
Investors traded in a mixed mood as the U.S. earnings season kicked off. Global stocks were mixed, the USD weakened moderately and sovereign yields nudged up across the U.S. and Europe.
Investors ended the week in a mixed mood as they weighed increasing coronavirus cases, vaccination progress and plans for higher taxes. On Friday, global stocks were mixed, the USD weakened, and sovereign yields nudged up. Italy's peripheral spread widened modestly ahead of S&P's rating review (unchanged at BBB and a 'stable' outlook).
In the last session of the week investors traded with optimism after April's US employment report came in lower than expected and eased concerns of higher inflation and monetary policy tightening from the Fed.
In the first session of the week, investors traded in a cautious mood amid an increase in market-based measures of inflation expectations (the U.S.' 5Y5Y inflation breakeven rate reached 2.36%, a level not seen since 2014).
Investors ended the week on a positive mood. In stock markets, volatility declined and equities surged across advanced and emerging economies on Friday, partially reversing the losses suffered in previous sessions. In FX markets, most advanced and emerging currencies also recovered some ground against the USD.
Yesterday, investors traded in a risk-off session in which stock indices declined across the board, core euro area sovereign yields ticked down and the US dollar strengthened against most currencies.