- After President Joe Biden expressed optimism that a compromise could be achieved, investors increased their bets on the ability of US officials to negotiate a resolution to the debt-ceiling crisis, driving up stocks and commodities.

- S&P 500 futures increased by 0.4%, reversing Friday's decline. As copper increased and mining companies led gains among European stocks, other markets skewed risk-on. On indications that a diplomatic spat with the US is lessening, the rand of South Africa surged.

- This week, investors' major concern has been the US debt ceiling. Strategists are predicting market chaos and an impending economic catastrophe if politicians don't agree to raise the government's $31.4 trillion borrowing cap. On Tuesday, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the house, and other congressional leaders plan to continue their discussions. They had originally planned to meet on Friday, but they postponed it because staff-level conversations went on all weekend.

- EU Commission forecasts 2023 Euro Zone inflation at 5.8%, up from 5.6% in February's forecast, seeing inflation in 2024 at 2.8%, up from the previous 2.5%.

- EU Commission forecasts 2023 Euro Zone GDP growth at 1.1%, up from 0.9% in February's forecast, seeing growth in 2024 at 1.6%, up from the previous 1.5%.

 


Ben
Ben