Sentiment was mixed in yesterday's session amid a raft of economic data. In the euro area, slightly higher than expected Q2 GDP (0.6% yoy vs. 0.5% expected), with France (1.1% yoy vs. 0.7% expected) and Spain (2.9% yoy vs. 2.5% expected) leading the surprises, supported equity markets. Sovereign bond yields edged lower ahead of today's inflation data.
Resultats de la cerca
Lower-than-expected inflation data on both sides of the Atlantic drove financial markets' sentiment. Preliminary figures from Spain and France showed headline inflation below 2%, at 1.5% and 1.2% respectively. In the US, the PCE price index fell to 2.2% from 2.5%, making solid progress towards the Fed's target.
Inflation eased below 2% in Germany and Italy in September (1.6% and 0.7% yoy, respectively), as it did in Spain and France. ECB President Lagarde remarked recent data has strengthened the central bank's confidence in the return of inflation to target, sending the probability implied by futures markets of a 25bp cut in the October meeting to 90%.
Investors kicked off the week with a higher risk appetite. In the euro area, the initial negative reaction to Trump's victory began to fade, with equity indices rising across the region and sovereign bond yields falling. Peripheral speads narrowed only slightly and Fitch upgraded Spain's debt outlook from "stable" to "positive", and affirmed its A- rating.
The week started on a risk-off tone. Equities fell across the board, particularly in the US, as several Wall Street CEOs and major banks warned of potential drawdowns and concerns over overstretched valuations. European and Asian indices also declined, albeit more modestly, with Spain’s Ibex closing flat.
Investors’ morale improved again on the back of solid economic data reports. June PMI and ISM data in the euro area and in the US reflected that economic growth is gaining momentum and most manufacturing indices remained above the 60 points (EZ at 63.4, US ISM at 60.6, Spain’s at 60.4, +1 pp from the previous month).
Mixed session to close off the week, with US investors reacting to President Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chair, while euro area markets focused on stronger-than-expected economic data, including upside surprises in GDP growth from Spain and Germany.
Wednesday saw a mixed session, as easing geopolitical tensions drove down commodities and sovereign yields, while equities remained pressured by concerns around tech companies' valuations. In commodities, energy prices declined, led by Brent crude, while gold fell on the back of a stronger dollar and higher expected real rates.
Sembla que els primers mesos del 2019 corroboren el to positiu del sector a Espanya, que consolida les excel·lents xifres d’entrada de turistes internacionals dels últims anys. Mentre que el nombre de turistes que ens visita creix de manera més moderada, la despesa que realitzen continua evolucionant amb força. El repte és ara sostenir aquestes tendències i reorientar l’oferta turística cap a una de més qualitat.
European stock markets were mixed as they recorded moderate losses in Germany and France, remained stable in Spain and advanced in Portugal.
U.S. stock markets declined for the first time in the week while European stocks were mixed, with small losses in Germany, and moderate gains in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Markets ended the week with a relatively quiet session. The main U.S. and euro area stock market indices posted moderate gains, but in Spain and Portugal stocks suffered a small decline.
In fixed-income markets, U.S. and German sovereign yields ticked up. Sovereign spreads declined in Spain and Portugal but rose in Italy.
Stock markets were mixed, with slight gains in the Eurozone (with the exception of Spain's Ibex 35), a mixed behavior of the U.S.' main indices and small losses in emerging equities (which were driven by Latin American stocks and partially counterbalanced by Asian indices).
Investors digested the Fed's third rate hike of the year (see our detailed analysis of the meeting here) with moderate stock market gains, relatively unchanged sovereign yields, and a mixed behavior in FX markets, where the euro eased to $1.16 while some EM currencies appreciated (such as the Turkish lira the Brazilian real) and others weakened (such as Argentina's peso).
In yesterday’s session, investors’ sentiment worsened following concerns of overvaluations in some risky assets and mixed economic data releases. In particular, August Composite PMIs came out weaker-than-expected in most euro area countries (Spain, Italy and France) and surprised positively in Germany, the US and China.
European stocks edged down on Friday, while U.S. stocks notched gains despite posting a slight loss on the week as investors faced the reality of a second coronavirus wave in Europe and the uncertainty around further stimulus in the U.S.
Investors traded with an optimistic tone ahead of the US Presidential elections as October's manufacturing sentiment data surprised to the upside in most regions. In particular, Spain's manufacturing PMI rose from 50.8 in the previous month to 52.8, the euro area's to 54.8 from 54.4 and the manufacturing ISM for the US rose to 59.3 from 55.4.
Investors traded cautiously in yesterday's session. The IMF updated its global economic forecasts – raising world GDP growth in 2021 to 5.5% but lowering the euro area's 2021 projections to 4.2% (-1.0pp). Spain's 2021 GDP growth forecast was lowered to 5.9% (-1.3pp).
European equities dropped as investors looked for the next catalysts to give the market direction. In Spain, shares of utility companies dropped over a draft bill the government is preparing that could drive down electricity prices.