A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook
Barely Tuesday and markets and the world seem to be sweeping unnervingly past points of no easy return.
After the partial destruction of the only bridge linking Russia to the Crimean peninsula, long-range Russian attacks are raining down on Kyiv and Ukrainian cities – as the tempo and risks rise in the seven-month old war.
Nuclear-armed North Korea says it has no interest in talks or dialogue and has fired seven test missiles since Sept. 25, apparently in simulation of the destruction of the south.
Semiconductor stocks are slumping following a set of U.S. export controls aimed at preventing China from access to any chips made anywhere with U.S. equipment.
The Federal Reserve is also ruling out a retreat – over and again – from rate hikes until the data show signs they are hauling in runaway inflation. British jobs data is ahead on Tuesday, before U.S. CPI figures are out on Thursday.
Meanwhile Britain’s attempts at mending fences with markets over fiscal spending plans are faring badly. The Bank of England doubled its bond buying caps as its emergency gilt market support programme nears its end on Friday.
Finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng promised to reveal some details of longer-term tax and spending plans at the end of the month.
But gilts responded with a sell-off that had spilled over by Tuesday into Treasuries, and was beginning to get out of hand. Government and BoE speakers will be closely watched on Tuesday.
Graphics: Gilt-dredged (https://graphics.reuters.com/BRV-BRV/gdvzyzbdgpw/chart_eikon.jpg)
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
Economics: UK jobs, U.S. small business survey
Speakers: ECB’s Philip Lane, BoE’s Andrew Bailey and Jon Cunliffe; Fed’s Loretta Mester
(Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
