Financial Markets Daily Report

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Investors ended the week in a mixed mood. Volatility jumped and stock markets declined across many advanced economies. In contrast, EM equities posted moderate gains.

Financial markets ended the day with mixed results, as investors digested a decision by the ECB to scale down its asset purchases and, separately, hawkish comments by some Fed officials about the likely start of tapering this year. These fears outweighed positive labour data in the US (new jobless claims fell to 310k last week, a pandemic-era low).

In yesterday’s session, investors continued to trade with a risk aversion mood, extending recent losses across the main equity markets. In its Beige Book, the Fed noted that economic growth is downshifting due to the spread of the Delta variant, while several Asian countries are extending restrictions to control the outbreak.

Financial markets ended the day with mixed results, as investors balanced fears about lingering supply constraints and pandemic-related risks with expectations that monetary policy will remain accommodative.

Financial markets recorded a positive start of the week, as investors increased the likelihood that the Fed will postpone the decision about when to start tapering its asset purchases.

Markets ended the week on a negative mood, following the release of weaker than expected employment data in the US (non-farm payrolls rose by 235k in August after 1,053k in July). The disappointing figures could well postpone a decision by the Fed to taper its asset purchases for later this year.

Markets traded on a positive mood in yesterday's session. Optimism on the economic recovery sent commodities and advanced-economy stocks higher, and in FX markets the USD eased against the major currencies. Yet, EM equities and currencies were mixed.

Investors extended their risk apetite amid positive global manufacturing PMI releases. In August, factory activity remained strong in most economies, but several surveys continued to signal disrupted supply chains and labour shortages as the main risks. In the U.S., the input price index fell from 85.7 points towards 79.4.

In the last session of August, investors weighed the slowdown of some economic sentiment indicators (e.g.: U.S. Conference Board's consumer confidence at 113.8 from 125.1 in July and China's Composite PMI down to 48.9 in August from 52.4) against an upside surprise in the euro area inflation.

Financial markets started the week without major turbulences and still digesting Powell's dovish comments from last week. In this sense, Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said yesterday that the inflation spike will be transitory and that the U.S. labor market is not yet at full employment.

In the last session of the week, financial markets generally assessed the long awaited speech of the Fed President in Jackson Hole as dovish. Jerome Powell affirmed the ongoing economic recovery, although he pointed to the evolution of the Delta variant as the main risk.

Investors traded more cautiously in yesterday's session as several regional Fed presidents (Bullard, George, Kaplan) signaled that they favor tapering asset purchases soon. Volatility rose and stock markets declined across advanced and emerging economies.