European Shares Set To Open On Soft Note
European stocks are seen opening lower on Friday as investors wait for U.S. jobs data due later in the day for an update on how a rapid flare-up of Delta variant might affect hiring and wages.
Economists currently expect the report to show employment surged up by 870,000 jobs in July after an increase of 850,000 jobs in June. The unemployment rate is expected to dip to 5.7 percent from 5.9 percent.
Fed Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday that the U.S. economic recovery is progressing rapidly and the Fed would be able to pull back on accommodative monetary policy potentially sooner than others think.
Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari flagged risks from the delta virus variant, while Senator Joe Manchin urged Chair Jerome Powell to pare back economic stimulus to avoid stoking inflation
Asian markets traded mixed as China Evergrande Group bonds dropped toward record lows amid growing liquidity concerns.
Gold prices eased in Asian trade as the dollar rose and U.S. Treasury yields climbed from lows not seen since February.
The British pound held an advance on inflation concerns while oil headed for a weekly drop of more than 6 percent despite rising tensions in the Middle East.
Industrial production data from Germany and house price figures from the U.K. are due later in the session, headlining a light day for the European economic news.
U.S. stocks advanced overnight after data showed initial unemployment claims declined for a second week.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.8 percent and the S&P 500 added 0.6 percent to reach new record closing highs on solid earnings, while the Dow rose 0.8 percent.
European stocks ended mostly higher on Thursday as investors balanced upbeat quarterly earnings against the threats to economic recovery. The pan-European Stoxx 600 gained 0.4 percent.
The German DAX edged up 0.3 percent and France’s CAC 40 index rose half a percent while the U.K.’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.1 percent after the Bank of England signaled a modest tightening of monetary policy depending upon improvement in the economy.
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