Squawk Box Europe Express

ECB policy makers are expected to hike by a record-breaking 75bps to combat inflation amid sky-rocketing utility prices. U.S. equities are in the green and crude prices bounce back following the Fed’s Lael Brainard insisting the central bank must hold its nerve in containing inflation. The dollar is at a 24-year high against the yen. New UK leader Liz Truss attends her first Prime Minister’s Quest...

Wall Street closes in the red yet again. The Nasdaq posts its longest daily losing streak since 2016. Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin says that rates must stay high until inflation is contained. New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is reportedly planning a £100bn package to help millions of households cut sky-rocketing energy bills this winter. Gazprom has signed a deal to permit Chine...

Gazprom reportedly claims Siemens Energy must carry out maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline before gas supply to Europe can resume. Brussels is suggesting an EU-wide gas price cap. Enagas CEO Arturo Gonzalo tells CNBC that Moscow’s behaviour will only serve to strengthen Europe’s resolve to stop dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. Liz Truss becomes the next UK prime minister and is due...

Gazprom indefinitely cuts gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. We hear from EU Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni at the Ambrosetti Forum who says that the Kremlin is weaponising energy but insists the West will not flinch. Sweden, Finland and Germany have scrambled to announce energy support packages, warning of a Lehman Bros-moment for the sector. In the U.S., equities are in the red...

We are live on the shores of Lake Como in Italy for the Ambrosetti Forum as Italy announces a multi-billion euro inflation-busting emergency programme. This as the 10-year yield hit 4 per cent for the first time since June. However, Ambrosetti CEO Valerio De Molli tells CNBC that the country is not about to slip into another debt crisis. Investors anticipate the U.S. August jobs report with the Do...

U.S. equities are set to start the new month in the red following their worst monthly performance in seven years. Treasury yields continue to rise as Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester pours cold water on hopes inflation has been tamed. In Covid-hit China, factory activity contracts for the first time in August. Growth concerns weigh on crude prices which have suffered their worst losing strea...

U.S. equities continue their slide in the red with the S&P 500 dipping below its 50-day moving average. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin, however, says a recession is not inevitable. We hear from French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire who says that he backs emergency measures to rein in rampant energy prices throughout Europe. Russia cites maintenance issues as it turns off gas supplies in...

Asian markets stage a rebound following more declines from U.S. markets overnight. Treasury yields also climb with the 2-year bill hitting its highest level since 2007 following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole comments last week. ECB chief economist Philip Lane has said he backs incremental rate hikes, warning that bigger increases could have adverse effects on the bloc. The...

The Dow drops 1,000 points following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech. Powell sparked a global sell-off after warning of increased pain to come in the struggle against rampant inflation. The ECB follows suit, predicting further sacrifices to curb price pressures on this side of the Atlantic. In China, July’s industrial profits slump on the back of continuing Covid restr...

The Dow finishes in the green with U.S. markets eagerly anticipating Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech later today. Fed officials speaking to CNBC at the Wyoming symposium have reiterated the need to keep raising interest rates to bring down U.S. inflation. President Biden signs an executive order to boost chip production. At a mid-term elections rally in Maryland he cal...

U.S. markets are in the green after three negative sessions with investors seeking further Fed clarity ahead of the start of the Jackson Hole Symposium today. President Biden fulfills his 2020 campaign promise of student loan forgiveness one week before a moratorium on payments and interest. The move will affect millions of graduates with $10,000 debts. Tesla undergoes its second stock split...

U.S. indices are down for their third straight session following further hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve. Investors’ expectations that Chairman Jerome Powell would move away from the central bank’s tightening progamme have been dampened. In energy news, crude is also down on anticipation that any Opec+ output cuts could coincide with the return of Iranian oil to markets as part of a rene...

U.S. markets post their worst session in June with the 10-year Treasury yield hitting 3 per cent. Investors are anticipating Fed rate setters will double-down on their hawkish positions at the Jackson Hole Symposium later this week. In forex news, the dollar is up while the euro plunges to a two-decade low. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Canada to seek alternative energy sources following th...

The S&P 500 breaks a 4-week rally and Treasury yields rise ahead of the Jackson Hole meeting of central bankers this week. Beijing cuts its base lending rate in a bid to revive its faltering economy amid extended Covid restrictions and a property sector crisis. Russia is set to undertake a further 3 days of ‘planned maintenance’, halting natural gas deliveries to Europe. And in entertainment n...

U.S. markets look to attempt to revive their recent rally. The S&P 500 is on track to end its fifth straight week in the green. St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard has repeated his call for a further 75bps hike in September. Home goods retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond sees shares nosedive after billionaire investor Ryan Cohen withdraws his entire stake in the company. Also in the...

The Dow’s five-day winning streak ends and Treasury yields grow as the Federal Reserve admits its aggressive tightening policy has been risky and that inflation still shows no signs of receding. We hear from the new Opec Secretary General Hathaim Al-Ghais who says Chinese consumption fears are exaggerated and that a return to pre-Covid demand depends on jet fuel recovery. In the U.S. Target misses...

It’s a fifth straight day of gains for the Dow since May. Retail stocks have been particularly resilient. Walmart ups its full-year guidance after beating both Q2 revenue and earnings forecasts. Shares are up by 5 per cent for the retail giant. CEO Doug McMillon remains cautious, telling this channel that inflation is hurting U.S. consumers, forcing them to adapt their shopping habits. In China, a...

The U.S. markets rally continues with the Dow closing above its 200-day moving average for the first time in four months. Disney shares are up on the news that investor Daniel Loeb’s Third Point is to buy a new stake in the entertainment giant. The hedge fund manager has also written to CEO Bob Chapek urging him to spin off sports network ESPN. In mining news, BHP posts its best profit in 11 years...

Weaker-than-expected retail and factory data prompts the Chinese central bank to slash the key lending rate as its zero-Covid strategy continues to impact the country’s economy. The S&P 500 posts its fourth consecutive winning week ahead of a slew of U.S. retail earnings. However, Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin tells CNBC that demand is softening. In energy news, Saudi Aramco...

The recent U.S. equity rally stalls despite July wholesale prices showing a surprise decline. Treasury yields edge higher on anticipation the Federal Reserve can achieve a ‘Goldilocks’ soft landing. In pharma news, GSK, Sanofi and Haleon all see shares slump due to continuing litigation issues relating to a recalled heartburn drug. UK GDP figures are due out with soaring utility prices set to weig...

The Nasdaq bounces back to bull market territory following yesterday’s better-than-expected inflation report. U.S. President Joe Biden says a lot more needs to be done to bring prices down. Treasury yields also contract on investor anticipation of less aggressive rate hikes but three Fed officials maintain there will further rises this year. Disney shares are in the green in extended trade on...

Expected U.S. inflation data causes both U.S. and Asian equities to fall, with consumer prices rising at their fastest rate in 2 years. Chip maker Micron posts a weaker-than-expected forecast with continuing supply chain headwinds impacting sentiment. Elon Musk sells almost $7bn of Tesla shares in anticipation of the possibility he may be forced to complete the Twitter purchase. In the UK, ministe...

The recent U.S. equity rally pauses with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both closing lower ahead of tomorrow’s inflation report. Chip maker Nvidia issues a Q2 profit warning due to slumping gaming sales. In China, there are further Covid flare-ups with authorities locking down in parts of Tibet and Xingjiang, just a day after restrictions were imposed on the tourist island of Hainan. Norway has warned...

U.S. non-farm payrolls surprise to the upside which help to ease recession fears but also bump up Treasury yields as investors anticipate further Fed rate hikes. Chinese exports see faster-than-expected growth in July but imports suffer due to Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policies. The recent political upheaval in Italy has prompted ratings agency Moody’s to cut the country’s outlook to negative ah...

Investors await key non-farm payrolls jobs report. Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester has reiterated the central bank’s resolve to rein in inflation via rate hikes. On this side of the pond, the BoE hikes rates by 50 bps – the largest move it has made in 27 years. Governor Andrew Bailey says the UK is likely to fall into recession in the fourth quarter with inflation topping 13 per...