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Investors continued to readjust their expectations about the future pace of monetary policy tightening, after data showed real GDP fell by 0.2% q/q in the US in Q2, the second consecutive quarterly decline.

Investors continued to trade with caution at the start of the week, still digesting the hawkish rhetoric at Jackson Hole conference last weekend and taking on board mixed signals from ECB officials, after chief economist Philip Lane cautioned against outsized interest rate hikes, calling instead for a "steady pace" until the end of its hiking cycle.

During a volatile session, financial markets closed with mixed results, balancing out another upside surprise in HICP inflation data in the eurozone (up by 9.1% y/y in August) with signs that job creation in the US may have moderated in August (according to the ADP survey). 

Risk aversion continued to set the tone across markets on Thursday, following the imposition of lockdown measures in some big urban areas in China. In the US, new weekly jobless claims and the manufacturing ISM survey surprised positively, which, in turn, exacerbated fears among investors of more aggressive interest rate hikes.

Investors ended the week with mixed results, with sentiment supported by data showing employment growth in the US slowed down in August, in line with expectations, while the jobless rate rose by 0.2 p. p. to 3.7%. In the eurozone, producer prices (PPI) rose by 37.9% y/y in July, fueling concerns that inflationary pressures are building up.

Financial markets started the week on a risk-off mood, as the Russian gas cut off worsened the European energy crisis and the region’s economic outlook. 

In yesterday’s session, investors traded cautiously as they continued to assess the intensity and duration of the monetary policy tightening that central banks are likely to agree this week and in the coming months.

On Friday, investors continued to weigh the hawkish monetary policy agenda of the main central banks and the upside surprises on inflation data. In the euro area, headline HICP inflation jumped from 9.1% to 10.0% and core inflation increased by 0.5pp to 4.8% yoy.

Volatility and risk aversion continued to set the tone across markets on Wednesday, with investors taking position ahead of a crucial inflation report in the US later today and the kickoff of the Q3 corporate earnings season on Friday.

Investors closed the week trading cautiously under a volatile setting, still digesting political developments in the UK and signs of lingering inflationary pressures. In Europe, natural gas prices fell notably, following reports that Germany is likely to support a price cap to be included in the next EU package, to be agreed in coming weeks.

Investors traded with a cautious mood in yesterday’s session amid mixed economic data in the US and a delicate geopolitical situation. Nevertheless, US and NATO comments are for now ruling out the possibility that the missiles hitting Poland had a Russian origin.

Investors closed the week trading cautiously, still digesting the hawkish rhetoric by some key Fed officials (St Louis Fed James Bullard) and data showing a further decline in home sales in the US in October.

Risk aversion continued to dominate in yesterday's session, with the key themes remaining the COVID situation in China and hawkish comments by central bank officials. In the euro area, both Christine Lagarde and Joachim Nagel said that inflation will remain elevated and might not have peaked yet, justifying a tighter monetary policy stance.

Risk aversion continued to set the tone during a volatile session on Tuesday, as a better-than-expected sentiment data in the US revived concerns among investors about the pace of monetary policy tightening by the Fed.

Investors continued to err on the side of caution during a session with mixed results on Thursday. The key focus remained the outlook for global growth and inflation and the implications for monetary policy decisions.

Investors continued to trade with caution during the last session of the week. In the US, a stronger-than-expected rise in PPI inflation (0.3% m/m and 7.4% y/y in November) triggered a pickup in sovereign bond yields and a decline in stock indices, as investors reassessed their expectations for monetary policy ahead.

In yesterday’s session, the lower-than-expected release of US CPI inflation pushed down the expectations of a far too tightened monetary policy in the Federal Reserve. Headline inflation moderated from 7.7% to 7.1%, confirming the downward trend but still at very elevated levels, while core inflation edged down 0.3pp to 6.0%.

In yesterday’s session, the US Federal Reserve meeting centered the stage. It raised official interest rates by 50bp up the 4.25%-4.50% target range, a slowdown in the pace of monetary policy tightening, but still a large move by historical standards. Jerome Powell signaled that ongoing interest rate hikes will be necessary to return price stability.

In yesterday's session, investors weighed mixed corporate earnings results with better-than-expected flash January PMIs. In particular, the composite indices for the euro area and the US edged up from 49.3 and 45.0 to 50.2 and 46.6, respectively. Both sectors, services and manufacturing, registered an improvement from the previous month.

As expected, the Federal Reserve increased policy interest rates by 25 bp to the range 4.50%-4.75% but surprised by giving a dovish tone, noting that disinflationary pressures have started while the economy is starting to slow. The Fed reiterated that “ongoing increases” on interest rates would still be needed.