In yesterday's session sovereign bonds took center stage once again. Yields extended their declines both in the euro area and in the US, where higher-than-expected weekly jobless claims pointed to a cooling labor market and gave investors further reasons to believe the Federal Reserve is done hiking rates.

Investors remained trading cautiously yesterday, as they still expect no further tightening of monetary policy and as economic data came in slightly better than expected. In the eurozone, the consumer sentiment indicator rose slightly from -17.8 to -16.9 in November, although it remains at quite a low level. 

Investors started the week on a downbeat note, with sovereign bond yields falling across the board on both sides of the Atlantic, as expectations grew that major central banks may be done with interest rate hikes. In the Eurozone, however, Lagarde stressed that strong wage growth does not yet allow the ECB to declare victory over inflation.

Investors took a breather from the recent buying spree in government bonds during Thursday’s session, pushing yields higher on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite data releases yesterday showing inflation cooling more than expected in the Eurozone and the US, investors were cautious ahead of comments from some central bankers.

Euro area and US sovereign bond yields continued to fall during Friday's session as investors continue to expect interest rate cuts by mid-2024. Speaking last Friday, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell remarked that policy is "well into restrictive territoy" further fueling the rally in bond markets.

Investors are starting the year cautiously as risk appetite seems to have eased over the holidays. As central bank officials tried to push market expectations of imminent rate cuts, although these expectations remain anchored in March for the Fed and April for the ECB, government bond yields rose across the board, particularly in the euro area.

In yesterday’s session, government bond yields fell slightly on both sides of the Atlantic. In the eurozone, German export data for November, which surprised to the upside on the back of strong EU demand, contributed to the move. In the US, the NY Fed’s metric of consumer’s one-year inflation expectations fell to 3.01%, the lowest level in almost three years.

Market sentiment remained subdued on Tuesday as investors awaited Thursday’s US inflation report for December, which could shed some light on the Fed’s future interest rate decisions. In this context, government bond yields rose in the eurozone, despite the negative surprise from German industrial production for November, and fell slightly in the US.

Stock markets edged higher and sovereign bond yields fell modestly in the US and the euro area as investors slightly increased their risk apetite ahead central bank decisions from the ECB and the BOJ, US 4Q GDP and PCE deflator later this week, as well as further earings reports in the US market.

Investors traded cautiously in yesterday’s session as they await the ECB’s decision and US macro data in the coming days. Sovereign bond yields edged higher across the board, while stock markets were mixed, falling in the euro area and modestly rising in the US. Chinese stocks rallied on reports of a government stimulus to stabilize stock markets.

In yesterday’s session, global stock markets advanced as investors increased risk appetite following reports about a Chinese stimulus to support the local stock market, a better-than-expected earnings season in the U.S. so far, and a favorable US PMI reading. Sovereign bond yields edged lower in the euro area and slightly rose in the U.S.

Investors started the week in a mildly risk-on mood, with sovereign bond yields falling across the board. In the Eurozone, ECB officials speaking on Monday seemed confident about a future rate cut, although they remained inconclusive on the exact timing of it. US yields were weighed down by the Treasury's lower than expected Q1 borrowing forecast.

In a session with no big economic data releases, except for the -1.1% m/m December retail sales in the euro area, investors reassessed their expectation on the upcoming central bank interest rate cuts.

The hawkish rhetoric from central bank officials was the main driver in yesterday's session, which saw sovereign yields on the rise in the euro area and in the US. In the ECB, Pierre Wunsch said that interest rates might remain at restrictive levels for longer than previously anticipated considering the labor market strength and increasing wages.

In yesterday’s session, a mixed release of February’s flash PMIs and a patient tone on inflation from the ECB, according to the last meeting minutes, were the main drivers in financial markets. Sovereign yields edged down in the euro area while increasing in the short end of the US treasury curve. Stock indices managed to advance across the board.

Financial markets started the week with a slight risk-averse tone as investors await inflation data, to be released later this week, that will be key in determining interest rates’ future path. Sovereign bond yields rose across the board, while equity indices edged lower in the US and the euro area.

Yesterday’s session in financial markets was a quiet one without any major macroeconomic data releases and with the Q4 2023 corporate earnings season nearing its end. All eyes remain attentive to today’s release of January’s US PCE deflator, the Fed’s favored inflation gauge, and some euro area countries’ CPI.

US January PCE deflator came in line with expectations (2.4% yoy down from 2.6% the previous month), and euro area countries’ CPI did not surprise either (Germany: 2.5% yoy, France: 2.9% yoy, Spain: 2.8% yoy), boosting markets’ expectations of a first interest rate cut starting in June and July.

Central bank communication preparing the ground to start easing the monetary policy stance soon was the main driver in yesterday’s session. In the euro area, the ECB kept interest rates unchanged and reinforced the data dependency approach, assuring that there is still some more progress to be done in domestic inflation.

In yesterday’ session, investors continued to digest this week’s US CPI report, which showed the “last mile” of bringing inflation back to target is proving to be the hardest. Markets were mixed, with sovereign bond yields advancing modestly on both sides of the Atlantic, while equities posted slight gains in the euro area and small losses in the US.