Evolution of the international financial markets and evaluation of the main events and economic indicators of the previous day session. Available in English.
Financial markets ended the week on a slightly positive note. News from early in the week of US-China trade negotiations helped sustain sentiment in equity markets, despite survey data showing a sharp deterioration in US consumer sentiment and an uptick in inflation expectations.
In yesterday's session, global financial markets delivered a mixed performance, shaped by the release of subdued economic data and growing expectations of potential interest rate cuts in the US. Investors also remained cautious amid ongoing speculation over possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Mixed session amid little macro data and a lack of trade negotiations news to trade on. Sovereign bond yields edged slightly higher on both sides of the Atlantic, with US yields receiving a boost by hawkish remarks from Fed officials warning of the potential impacts of tariffs on prices. The 2-year Treasury yield closed above 4% for the time since late March.
Risk appetite remained relatively high in the market yesterday as US inflation figures for April came in slightly below expectations at 2.3% YoY, with core inflation holding at 2.8%. Separately, the NFIB survey showed that small business optimism fell moderately in April. Against this backdrop, US Treasury yields were broadly unchanged.
Yesterday's announcement of a temporary truce in the trade war between the US and China lifted investors' mood, particularly in US assets. Both countries agreed that for the next 90 days the US will reduce the tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports last month from 145% to 30%, and that Chinese tariffs on US imports will fall from 125% to 10%.
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.
Positive session across markets, fuelled by optimism surrounding the trade agreement reached between the Trump administration and the UK government, which has helped ease tensions and is seen as a potential blueprint for ongoing negotiations with other countries. Additionally, the Bank of England cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.25%, citing increased uncertainty in the economic outlook. In contrast, Norges Bank and the Riksbank held rates steady at 4.5% and 2.25%, respectively.
The Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate unchanged at the 4.25%-4.50% range and highlighted that the risks of higher inflation and higher unemployment have risen. The decision had been widely discounted by markets and had little impact on financial assets. Markets still expect three cuts in 2025, starting in July, and Treasury yields ended the session mostly flat.
Investors traded cautiously during yesterday's session despite some political noise in Germany, where Frerich Merz was finally elected chancellor in a second round of voting, after having surprisinly lost in the first round. Euro area sovereign bond yields edged only slightly higher, peripheral risk premia held steady, and the region's main equity indices ended lower.
Investors kicked-off the week with a quiet session following last week's heavy-data week, which included US Q1 GDP and euro area inflation. This week, markets' attention will shift back to central meetings. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady in Wednesday, and the BoE is expected to deliver a 25bp rate cut on Thursday.
A better-than-expected employment report in the US eased fears of a severe economic downturn, pushing expectations of a first Fed rate cut back one meeting to July and lowering total expected cuts in 2025 from four to three. Sovereign bond yields rose on both sides of the Atlantic following the report and stock markets rallied.
Euro area financial markets were closed during yesterday’s session for May 1st holiday. In the US, a better-than-expected ISM manufacturing index, which also showed signs that input prices have been kept elevated due to tariff policy, lowered expectations of four interest rate cuts in 2025 and sent US Treasury yields higher.
Financial markets traded cautiously during yesterday's session, ahead of Q1 GDP growth data to be released today, both for the US and for the euro area. Yesterday’s preliminary data showed Spanish GDP grew +0.6% qoq (+2.8% yoy) in Q1. Euro area Economic Sentiment Indicator dropped to 93.6 in April from 95.0 in March, and below market expectations of 94.5.