Evolution of the international financial markets and evaluation of the main events and economic indicators of the previous day session. Available in English.
Investors traded cautiously as they positioned themselves ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting next week. US weekly unemployment benefit claims fell to a three-year low, casting some doubts over the Fed's willingess to lower rates. In this context, US treasury yields rose, equities were mostly flat, and the dollar edged higher against most peers.
US Treasury yields dropped along the curve after the ADP survey showed an unexpected decrease of private payrolls in November, suggesting further weakness of the job market and consolidating views on a rate cut by the Fed next week. In consequence, the dollar depreciated against all its main peers.
US Treasury yields ended yesterday's session mostly flat after the large sell-off they suffered on Monday. The market-implied probability of a Fed rate cut next week continued to stand close to 100%. The Japanese 2Y yield topped 1% early this week, its highest value since 2008, on continued expectations of a rate hike in two weeks.
Financial markets started the week with a subdued risk appetite. Sovereign bond yields rose across the board in developed markets. The sold off started in Japan, where it seems increasingly likely that the BoJ could rise rates in December. In both Europe and the US, November ISM and PMI data showed protracted weakness in manufacturing.
Friday's session was shorter in the US as markets closed at noon due to Thanksgiving's holidays. Treasury yields rose slightly and US stocks edged higher, with S&P 500 registering the largest gains in a 4-day stretch since May amid high expectations that the Fed will cut rates next week. The dollar continued to depreciate against its peers.
Financial markets had a subdued session on Thursday, with U.S. markets closed for Thanksgiving. In the euro area, sovereign yields edged slightly higher. Minutes from the latest ECB meeting confirmed a cautious stance on rates, though diverging views on inflation risks keep the door open for future cuts.
Financial markets had a mixed session on Wednesday. The US Treasury curve flattened, with short term yields rising due to stronger than expected data: initial jobless claims came in below expectations, and durable goods orders (excluding non-defense and aviation goods) for September posted a positive surprise.
Markets kept the positive tone on Tuesday, as Fed's Miran advocated for aggressive rate cuts. Separately, a flurry of US data suggested consumer fatigue (retail sales growth decelerated in September, and the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell in November below expections), lifting expectations for a December rate cut and pushing Treasury yields lower.
Markets opened the week on a risk-on tone, as Fed's Waller also favoured a December rate cut, much like Williams had done on Friday. Waller favoured the cut on the basis of a soft and weakening labour market, which pushed US Treasury yields lower and brought market expectations of a cut in December to 75%.
Markets ended Friday mixed as Fed guidance revived rate-cut bets, tempering weak sentiment in Asia and Europe. Comments from Fed Williams suggesting December interest rate cuts could align with inflation goals boosted markets' expectations for such event and drove US Treasury yields slightly down.
Markets opened on a positive note after strong Nvidia earnings results, with a clear risk-on tone in Europe as equities rose and sovereign yields edged higher. But sentiment reversed sharply in the US after the European close, leading to a broad pullback in equities, with an intraday swing of nearly 5% in the Nasdaq, as the VIX hit its highest since April.
Markets had a mixed session. US stocks advanced ahead of Nvidia's earnings report, while most euro area indices retreated. US Treasury yields rose after the BLS announced it will not publish the October and November jobs data before the Fed's next meeting, leading markets to reduce expectations of a rate cut in December to 30%. Euro area sovereign yields were flat.