- As investors analyzed the latest data on American inflation, and assessed wagers on when the first federal reserve rate rise in the post-pandemic period would occur, US stock futures held steady.
- Also, while traders awaited the next trade stimulus, contracts on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 remained flat. After a two-day rally, the Stoxx Europe 600 index stalled, with falls in travel and leisure and consumer products balancing gains in technology and mining.
- Despite calls for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to quit for a "bring your own booze" party at the height of a lockdown aimed to stop the first wave of coronavirus illnesses in 2020, the pound rose to its highest level since October 29.
- The dollar continued to fall as a rising number of investors gambled that the world's reserve currency had hit its high, with Fed rate hike expectations essentially factored in. The dollar also underperformed all of its peers in a group of ten.
- Wells Fargo: Forecasting the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates 4 times this year, up from 2 rises previously expected.
- The Swiss National Bank reports that it has tested CBDC transactions with Goldman Sachs, UBS, Credit Suisse, and Citi.
- Kremlin: The negotiations between Russia and the West this week were unsuccessful.
- German BDI: Forecasting a 3.5% increase in GDP in 2022, following a 2.5% increase in 2021.
- ECB Bulletin: Supply bottlenecks, rising commodity costs, and omicron continue to weigh on global growth prospects in the short term.
- Fed's Harker expects at least three rate hikes this year - FT.
