European markets are heading for a mixed open on Thursday as global investors digested the latest U.S. inflation data, which came in hotter than expected.
European and U.S. stocks traded lower after the U.S. inflation data for March came in at 3.5% year on year, above the 3.4% expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and 0.3 percentage points higher than in February.
Markets had expected the U.S. Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates in June, with further cuts expected later this year, but that shifted dramatically following the release, with traders now expecting the first cut in September, according to CME Group calculations.
European investors' focus is on the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision Thursday, with the central bank being closely watched for clues that it could start to cut rates in summer.
Persons:
Dow Jones
Organizations:
Markets, U.S . Federal Reserve, Central
Locations:
U.S