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☆ Europe markets set to open higher as investors digest Fed comments, inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European markets were on course to open higher Friday, extending the previous session's gains as investors take stock of the slew of economic data published this week. Across Europe, inflation data came in hotter than expected. A flash estimate for the euro zone showed headline inflation eased from 8.6% to 8.5%, but this was above a consensus estimate; while core inflation rose from 5.3% to 5.6%. However, in a separate speech, Fed Governor Christopher J. Waller raised the possibility of a higher terminal rate if inflation does not cool, citing January's bumper payrolls report. Asia-Pacific markets were mostly higher Friday, while U.S. stock futures nudged lower.

☆ Art Cashin on why the Fed can't go back to super-sized rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Art Cashin says the Federal Reserve can't go back to higher interest rate hikes after easing down. They went from 50 [basis points] down to 25. That follows Thursday comments from Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic who said he's "firmly" in favor of 25 basis point rate hikes , instead of the 50 basis point increase some other Fed officials have called for. Regardless, Cashin said he expects trouble ahead for markets, and urged investors to keep an eye on some technical levels. "It looks to me like the oversold bounce that we got out of Salesforce yesterday, the influence on the market might carry on until maybe Tuesday of next week," Cashin said.

☆ Dow jumps 387 points as US stocks snap weekly losing streak after rate fears ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stocks climbed higher on Friday, snapping a weekly losing streak. Fears of a move back to bigger rate hikes were eased as traders digested comments from Fed officials. All three indices ended the day higher, with the Dow gaining almost 400 points to break a four-week streak of losses. "The solid ISM survey and resilience to high interest rates will reinforce the Fed's resolve that interest rates should continue to move higher. "The Fed wants to tread lightly to minimize the risk that they overshoot and cause an unnecessarily severe downturn."

☆ Gold eyes best week since mid-Jan as traders gauge U.S. rate hike path
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $1,838.84 per ounce, as of 0358 GMT, rising about 1.5% so far in the week. U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% to $1,844.20. Interest rate hikes to contain high inflation discourage investors from placing money in non-yielding assets such as gold. If Fedspeak reinforces that interest rates could move higher still, then "gold could be in for a troubling end of the week," Spivak said. All the three metals were poised for weekly gains, with platinum on track for its best week since November.

☆ Global equity funds see biggest weekly outflow in two months
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 3 (Reuters) - Global equity funds suffered their biggest weekly net selling in two months in the seven days to March 1 as global stocks fell after strong U.S. economic data stoked fears about further rises in interest rates. Data from Refinitiv Lipper showed global equity funds saw a net $13 billion worth of outflows in the week to March 1, the biggest amount since Jan. 4. Fund flows: Global equity sector fundsMeanwhile, global bond funds accumulated $6.83 billion worth of inflows, compared with just $1.46 billion worth of net purchase in the previous week. Government bond funds attracted $4.38 billion and corporate bond funds secured $3.56 billion with outflows from high-yield funds easing to a three-week low of $1.74 billion. Data for 23,732 emerging market funds showed equity funds drew an eighth weekly inflow, worth $1.56 billion, but bond funds remained out of favour for the third week with $924 million in outflows.

☆ Dollar eases toward first weekly loss since January as traders weigh Fed path
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. dollar eased back from a 2-1/2-month high versus the yen on Friday and weakened toward its first weekly loss since January against major peers as traders tried to gauge the path for Federal Reserve policy. Analysts polled by Reuters said recent dollar strength is temporary, and the currency will weaken over the course of the year amid an improving global economy and expectations the Fed will stop hiking interest rates well ahead of the European Central Bank. The dollar eased 0.15% to 136.575 yen , after climbing to 137.10 overnight, the highest since Dec. 20. For the week, the dollar is just slightly above flat, but any gain would preserve its win streak since mid-January. The euro rose 0.08% to $1.0606, after climbing off a nearly two-month low of $1.0533 at the start of the week.

☆ This week's best performers include Salesforce and these solar stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Solar energy names First Solar and SolarEdge Technologies both made the list of this week's biggest gainers. First Solar was this week's top performer, with shares popping 23.2% following strong guidance for 2023. More than half of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, but also see it coming down slightly from current levels. Software company Salesforce was also one of this week's notable gainers, with the stock on Thursday having their best day since 2020 following a blowout earnings report. Several non-energy materials stocks were also strong performers this week, with Steel Dynamics and Mosaic gaining 12.5% and 9.4%, respectively.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Markets rallied as Fed official renewed investors' hope for 25 basis-point hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Raphael Bostic, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, at the a conference in Dallas, Texas, U.S., on Thursday, May 24, 2018. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Yet markets' fears were allayed mere hours later when Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic told the media he's in favor of lower — and slower — rate hikes. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: A Fed official’s comments gave markets the confidence to rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Markets digested mixed messages on Thursday and eventually overcame fears of higher rates to stage a last-minute rally. Yet markets' fears were allayed mere hours later when Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic told the media he's in favor of lower — and slower — rate hikes. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ Morning Bid: Inflation 'blip' or brave new world?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. Federal Reserve officials wrestled on Thursday with whether recent data showing inflation, jobs and spending all hotter than expected was a flash in the pan. "It could be that progress has stalled, or it is possible that the numbers released last month were a blip," said Fed Governor Christopher Waller. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic urged a "slow and steady" course of policy response. The resilience of stock markets more generally to the week's bond market quake is notable and slightly puzzling - with implied volatility in bonds (.MOVE) climbing sharply while stock market equivalents (.VIX) subside. Two-year U.S. inflation expectations in the Treasury market climbed to 3% from 2% since early last month.

"It could be that progress has stalled, or it is possible that the numbers released last month were a blip," he said. The current policy rate is set in a range between 4.5% and 4.75%. Bostic also said he was ready to raise rates higher if upcoming data did not show inflation "clearly" heading back towards the central bank's 2% target from its January level of about 5.4%. But he also felt the impact of Fed rate increases so far may only be getting started, a reason to be careful in deciding on further rate hikes lest the central bank overstep. Fed rate increases "should bite through the spring ...

☆ Stocks gain as Bostic backs quarter-point hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Chuck Mikolajczak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The 10-year yield was last up 6.7 basis points to 4.064%. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 0.4 basis points at 4.885% after earlier touching a fresh 15-year high at 4.944%. [1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2023. Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.19-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.10-to-1 ratio favored advancers. The S&P 500 posted 10 new 52-week highs and 13 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 80 new highs and 153 new lows.

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The impact of higher U.S. interest rates on the economy may only begin to "bite" in earnest this spring, an argument for the Federal Reserve to stick with "steady" quarter-point rate increases, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said on Thursday. "I am still very much of a mindset that slow and steady is going to be the appropriate course of action," Bostic said in comments to reporters. The cumulative effect of the Fed rate increases "should bite through the spring ... He has penciled in another half percentage point of increases as likely needed, but that depends on what upcoming data show about an economy that continues to outperform expectations. The Fed targets a 2% rate of annual increase in the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, which as of January was increasing at a 5.4% annual rate.

☆ Stocks gain as yields cool from earlier highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Chuck Mikolajczak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2023. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 1.5 basis points at 4.904% after touching a fresh 15-year high at 4.91% earlier in the day. The S&P 500 was trading just above its 200-day moving average, seen as a key support level by traders, after briefly falling below it for the first time since Jan. 25 earlier in the session. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.12-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.09-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted 8 new 52-week highs and 13 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 64 new highs and 139 new lows.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Markets reeled as Fed officials confirmed commitment to high interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Hawkish sentiment from Federal Reserve officials weighed on stocks and buoyed Treasury yields, giving markets a disappointing start to March. Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said Wednesday he's "open-minded" about raising interest rates by either 25 or 50 basis points. Kashkari, who is a voting member on the Federal Open Market Committee, added he might hike rates even further. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

☆ US stocks rally as traders digest comments from Fed officials on coming rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

US equities rallied Thursday as traders mulled over coming interest rate hikes. The Dow popped more than 300 points, supported by Salesforce's gains on strong corporate earnings. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said he's "very firmly" in favor of a quarter-point rate hike. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. The Dow Jones Industrial Average popped more than 300 points to lead the gains, supported by Salesforce's strong earnings.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Higher manufacturing prices gave markets a bad start to March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Stock futures tick lower on Thursday night: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. stock futures inched downward on Thursday night as investors pondered the Federal Reserve's rate-hiking path in light of fresh commentary from central bank speakers. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.15% and 0.21%, respectively. The S&P 500 is up 0.28%, while the Nasdaq has a 0.60% gain. The road ahead is a tough one for the central bank, regardless of the messaging they're relaying to the public. Investors will also listen for further commentary from central bank officials, including Fed Governor Michelle Bowman and Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin.

The yield on two-year Treasury notes , which closely tracks short-term interest rate expectations, rose to 4.9%, its highest level since 2007. "You also got a tick up in the ISM prices paid, which means that prices generally are rising now for manufacturing. That's higher than where Fed policymakers in December signaled they would need to raise the policy rate. Money market traders see an about 80% chance of a 25-basis-point rate hike later this month, but the odds of a bigger 50 bps rate hike have grown recently. The main U.S. benchmarks ended February with losses as investors braced for the possibility that the Fed will hike rates more than initially thought on signs of resilience in the economy.

Kashkari, a voter on Fed rate policy this year, said he had not made a final call yet on a new projection for the target federal funds rate. But "at this point...I lean towards continuing to raise further," beyond the 5.4% level that he previously thought would be adequate to lower inflation. Fed officials will submit new projections at a meeting in three weeks, and analysts and investors expect the median rate seen by officials for the end of 2023 will move perhaps a quarter point higher than the 5.1% anticipated as of December. The federal funds rate is currently set in a range from 4.5% to 4.75% after a rapid set of rate increases last year lifted it from a near zero level. The jump in inflation in January, however, has not prompted a universal call to respond.

☆ Analysis: With record diversity on their boards, Fed bank chiefs see lower chances of policy error
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ann Saphir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Fed bank directors generally stay out of the limelight, but many U.S. central bankers view them as a critical resource. "I think the probabilities are far higher of achieving that gentle transition, that smoother transition," San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Reuters in an interview. This year, of the 108 spots on the 12 Fed bank boards, 44% are filled by women, and 41% by people of color, a review of the data shows. Still, a majority of the Fed's economists are white men, as are its top two monetary policymakers: Powell and New York Fed President John Williams. Hispanics and Latinos, Menendez notes, are a fast-growing segment of the population but are underrepresented at the Fed at all levels, including on Fed bank boards.

☆ Nvidia cheer ripples through chips as investors assess Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, January 24, 2023. The MSCI all country share index (.MIWD00000PUS) was slightly firmer, adding to the year's 4.5% advance, after falling nearly 20% in 2022. The yield on 10-year Treasury was slightly firmer at 3.9254%. The Australian and New Zealand dollar were both slightly firmer against the dollar. Fed officials Mary Daly and Raphael Bostic are also due to make appearances later on Thursday.

☆ Asia stocks see bright side after Nvidia sounds upbeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Shares in the giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) rose 2.2% to lift Taiwan's benchmark (.TWII) 1.3%. A 4% gain for SK Hynix (000660.KS) and a 2% gain for Samsung (005930.KS) drove South Korea's Kospi (.KS11) 1% higher. The Bank of Korea also offered some relief by ending a year-long run of uninterrupted rate hikes with a pause - as expected. Wall Street indexes fell overnight and are eyeing their worst week of the year so far as stronger-than-forecast U.S. labour, inflation, retail sales and manufacturing figures have traders pricing interest rates staying higher for longer. "Markets have been forced to reprice interest rate expectations, not just higher, but also questioning the view that once peak rates are hit, central banks will pivot quickly to cutting interest rates," said ANZ economist Finn Robinson.

☆ Stocks struggle to make headway as rate rises loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) touched its lowest since Jan. 6 in early trade. Nasdaq futures (.NQc1) rose 0.9% after a revenue beat at chip designer Nvidia (NVDA.O) sent its shares up 9% after-hours. Oil nursed sharp overnight losses, and Brent crude futures clung to support around $80 a barrel on Thursday. "Markets have been forced to reprice interest rate expectations, not just higher, but also questioning the view that once peak rates are hit, central banks will pivot quickly to cutting interest rates," said ANZ economist Finn Robinson. The Bank of Korea did, however, offer some dose of relief by ending a year-long run of uninterrupted rate hikes with a pause.

☆ Morning Bid: Blue chips cheered up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The logo of technology company Nvidia is seen at its headquarters in Santa Clara, California February 11, 2015. Its CEO Jensen Huang said use of its chips to power AI had "gone through the roof in the last 60 days." The Federal Reserve at least seems keen on the higher-for-longer message that's shaken world stock and bond markets this week. And as the minutes pre-date red-hot jobs and retail data for January, the message from Fed officials is probably even sterner now. A Reuters poll of equity analysts showed global stock markets are expected to correct in the next three months.

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