Financial Markets Daily Report

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Volatility and precaution continued to set the tone yesterday, with investors digesting hawkish messages from FOMC officials and hotter-than-expected PPI inflation data in the US (+0.7% m/m in January, the largest gain since June).

Another session with mixed results across financial markets on Wednesday, with investors keeping the focus on solid economic data and the likely implications for monetary policy decisions by major central banks.

Investors continued to err on the side of caution during a volatile session marked by the release of US CPI inflation for January. The report showed headline CPI rose by 0.5% m/m (+0,1% in December), while the year-on-year rate eased only mildly (6.4% after 6.5% in December), above expectations (6.2% according to Bloomberg).

Investors started the week with no clear direction, with all eyes focusing on the release of the January CPI inflation print in the US today, where the consensus (according to Bloomberg) expects headline inflation to ease to 6.2% y/y (from 6.5% in December). The second release of Q4 GDP in the eurozone is also published today.

Risk aversion continued to set the tone during the last session of the week, fueled by a further upward revision in investors’ expectations for the likely path of policy interest rates ahead. These worries were compounded by the announcement from Russia that the country will cut its oil production by 500k barrels a day next month.

In yesterday’s session, investors traded cautiously, closing with mixed results in the US and in Europe. The lower-than-expected HICP inflation print in Germany (9.2% in January from 9.6%) pushed down yields on sovereign bonds in the euro area (despite the hawkish tone from some ECB officials) and allowed stock indices to increase.

Central bank communication remained at the center stage yesterday, as Fed and ECB officials reiterated that monetary policy would need to be restrictive for a while. In the eurozone, GC member Klaas Knot, said the ECB should only decrease the pace of rate hikes once it sees underlying inflation abating, pointing to a 50bp hike in May.

Yesterday investors continued to digest the messages from central bank officials, who, in general, have toughened the stance against inflation and show a more hawkish tone. In this context, yields on sovereign bonds rose further in the eurozone, more notably in the periphery, while remaining broadly unchanged in the US.

In the beginning of the week, investors continued to digest the US employment figures report released on Friday, which suggested that the tightness in the labor market is far from moderating at the pace the Fed would like to see.

In the last session of the week, financial markets were very volatile after the upside surprise in the US labor market report for January. Non-farm payrolls rose by 517k, well above consensus expectations (+188k) and the upwardly revised monthly average in 2022 (401k). The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.4%, a level not seen since 1969.

Risk appetite continued to set the tone across financial markets on Thursday, fueled by expectations that the cycle of monetary policy tightening may be nearing its end.

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.