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☆ European shares slip, euro firm as data tees up ECB rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/StaffLONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The euro held near a nine-month high against the dollar on Tuesday, though European stocks eased after regional business activity data reinforced expectations that the European Central Bank (ECB) will raise rates by a further 50 basis points. S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) climbed to 50.2 this month from 49.3 in December, the first time it has been above the 50 mark since June. "For the ECB, this should seal the deal for a 50-basis point hike next week," said ING economists in a note. The Federal Reserve's rate setting committee concludes its two-day meeting on Feb. 1, with the ECB and Bank of England meeting the next day. The euro , in contrast was steady at $1.0862, just off its nine-month high of $1.0927 hit a day before.

☆ European shares slide, euro steady as data tees up ECB rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alun John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) climbed to 50.2 this month from 49.3 in December, the first time it has been above the 50 mark since June. Britain's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), however, dropped to 47.8 in January from 49.0 in December, the lowest since January 2021. U.S. PMI data is due later in the day. The European common currency was steady at $1.0865, just off its nine-month high of $1.0927 hit a day before. Sterling turned negative after the British data and lost 0.5% to $1.231, retreating from Monday's seven-month high.

☆ Take Five: Staring at the ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

All told, companies worth more than half the S&P 500's market value are reporting results over the next two weeks. Stock markets can predict the global PMI levels, tending to bounce ahead of a sustainable rise of the index. On Wednesday, watch out for Australian and New Zealand inflation data as well, with the RBNZ pondering how much more to tighten, and the RBA wondering whether it's time to pause. Reuters Graphics5/LONDON CALLINGLondon's bluechip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) is poised to launch a new attempt to scale an all-time high in days to come. British public sector borrowing numbers, producer price inflation and PMI data are all due as well ahead of a Bank of England meeting the following week.

☆ Biggest risk for UK stocks right now? There's no recession, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An employee views a FTSE share index board in the atrium of the London Stock Exchange Group Plc's offices in London, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — The biggest risk to the U.K. stock market is avoiding a widely anticipated recession, according to Roger Lee, head of U.K. equity strategy at Investec. The Bank of England has projected that the U.K. has already entered its longest recession on record. Higher interest rates are negative for growth-oriented stocks as the value of their future earnings is diminished in today's money. Growth stocks contribute a far higher proportion of the U.S. market than in the U.K.watch now

☆ Consumer stocks drag FTSE 100 lower amid recessionary jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 down 0.3%, FTSE 250 off 0.4%Robert Walters down on profit warningInvestors await Fed Chair speechJan 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 retreated from a three-and-a-half-year high on Tuesday, led by consumer stocks amid recession worries, after hawkish comments from two U.S. Federal Reserve officials raised worries about future rate hikes. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) declined 0.3%, while the domestically focussed FTSE 250 mid-cap index (.FTMC) fell 0.4%. On Monday, Fed officials said inflation data due later this week would sway the central bank's decision about rate hikes. Among individual stocks, recruiter Robert Walters (RWA.L) slumped 8.1% after the company warned that its full-year profit was expected to be slightly below market expectations. Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The dollar, a beneficiary of rising U.S. interest rates, was on track for its best annual performance in seven years. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against six major currencies, fell 0.4% to a two-week low. Sterling was set for its worst performance against the dollar since 2016, when Britain voted to leave the European Union. U.S. Treasuries and German bonds, the benchmarks of global borrowing markets, lost 16% and 24% respectively in dollar terms this year as rates rose. Ten-year German Bund yields rose 4 bps to 2.51% and two-year yields hit their highest since 2008 after data showing Spanish core inflation rose in December.

The dollar, a beneficiary of rising U.S. interest rates, was on track for its best annual performance in seven years. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against six major currencies, dipped 0.16%. Sterling was set for its worst performance against the dollar since 2016, when Britain voted to leave the European Union. "Averting a downturn is a tall order," said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, noting that the odds are stacked against economies emerging unscathed from global policy tightening. U.S. Treasuries and German bonds, the benchmarks of global borrowing markets, lost 16% and 24% respectively in dollar terms this year.

☆ European markets set for slightly lower open as caution abounds to end the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — European markets are set for a slightly lower open on Thursday as caution returns to global stocks, with investors assessing a number of likely headwinds in 2023. Britain's FTSE 100 is seen around 24 points lower at 7,473, Germany's DAX is expected to drop by around 38 points to 13,888 and France's CAC 40 is set to open around 19 points lower at 6,491. European markets look set to continue the weak sentiment in Asia-Pacific overnight, where markets followed Wall Street's losses as investors looked with trepidation to the year ahead. U.S. stock futures ticked slightly higher in early premarket trade on Thursday. Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world.

☆ European markets set for mixed open as investors assess 2023 headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — European markets are set for a cautious open on Wednesday as investors look ahead to the various economic headwinds coming down the pike in 2023. Britain's FTSE 100 was closed for a public holiday on Tuesday and is set to reopen Wednesday. With three trading days left for the year, global stock markets have suffered a dismal 2022 as governments and central banks grappled with sky-high inflation arising from the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine and persistent Covid-19 restrictions in China. Shares in Asia-Pacific mostly fell overnight after further losses on Wall Street Tuesday, with U.S. stock markets on track for their worst year since 2008. Stock futures stateside inched fractionally higher in early premarket trade on Wednesday.

☆ European markets set to open lower as investors await U.S. payrolls data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European markets were poised to open lower on Friday as investors closely monitored news from China over its zero-Covid policy and looked ahead to U.S. non-farm payrolls data. Britain's FTSE 100 index, France's CAC and Germany's DAX were all forecast to open slightly lower, according to data from IG. Stocks in Japan led losses, with the Nikkei 225 last seen 1.6% lower and the Topix falling 1.6%. Stateside, S&P 500 futures were slightly lower as market participants looked ahead to the November jobs report. Economic data including the Labor Department's report on non-farm payrolls, the unemployment rate and hourly wages are due at 8:30 a.m.

☆ Rates and recession: European shares face rocky start to 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Danilo Masoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the coming months, though, investors fear euro zone equities could lag other markets. "The economic outlook looks challenging as our economists forecast a recession in the euro zone," said Marc Haefliger, Head of Global Equity Strategy at Credit Suisse in Zurich. The economic slowdown will hit the cyclical euro zone market disproportionately," he added. The STOXX index of the euro zone's top 50 blue chip stocks (.STOXX50E) is seen falling another 7.9% from Friday's close to 3,650 points by mid-2023. Among country benchmarks, Germany's DAX (.GDAXI) is seen ending the first half of 2023 at 13,209, down 9.2% from Friday's close.

☆ Poland missile relief dents dollar; stocks retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Global stocks eased from two-month highs on Wednesday while the safe-haven dollar fell, after Poland's president said a missile that hit his country was probably a stray Ukrainian defence projectile, dispelling fears that it originated from Russia. Data on Wednesday showed U.S. retail sales rose by 1.3% in October, compared with expectations for a 1.0% rise, showing consumers were undeterred by high inflation last month. This gave a bump to the dollar, which cut some of the day's losses and weighed heavily on European shares. The dollar, which acts a safe haven in times of geopolitical or market turmoil, rallied overnight, before falling throughout the European session. Gold rose 0.2% on the day to $1,776 an ounce, supported by a slightly weaker dollar, while Brent crude futures fell 0.6% to $93.33 a barrel, having retreated from an overnight high of $94.79.

☆ Stocks pare losses, dollar falls after Biden defuses tensions over Poland blast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Global stocks pared losses and the dollar fell on Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 and NATO partners that a missile blast in Poland was caused by a Ukrainian defence missile, dispelling fears that it originated from Russia. This is whatever it was, but it was not an attack on Poland and Biden’s comments took the tension out of it," Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes said. When the missile struck, NATO member Poland first said a Russian-made rocket was responsible and summoned Russia's ambassador to Warsaw for an explanation after Moscow denied it was responsible. Biden said the United States and its NATO allies were investigating the blast but early information suggested it may not have been caused by a missile fired from Russia. With geopolitical tensions injecting some volatility into the broader markets, benchmark 10-year Treasury yields were almost unchanged on the day at 3.807%.

LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The moment of truth is almost here for Britain's new prime minister Rishi Sunak and finance minister Jeremy Hunt. British markets have regained some poise after the carnage triggered by September's fiscal statement, but as the UK slips into recession, the outlook is far from rosy. Here's a look at some of the likely winners and losers from Thursday's budget. "Domestic UK equities are being treated with caution by investors both domestically and internationally," he said. snapshotA CRUDE TARGETEnergy companies have reported bumper profits this year, thanks to soaring crude oil and gas prices.

☆ 'Unloved, undervalued' UK stocks back in focus on Rishi Sunak stability hopes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks past Larry the cat outside Downing Street, in London, Britain, October 25, 2022. "The fact that we have Rishi Sunak as prime minister is definitely calming on markets. We believe that it is under owned, it's unloved, undervalued, and there is some upside from here." Sunak in his inaugural speech outside Downing Street on Tuesday stressed the importance of "economic stability and confidence" while warning of "difficult decisions to come." Central to the potential stability narrative, as far as U.K. markets are concerned, is the assumption that the central bank will now be less aggressive in raising interest rates.

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