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STOXX 600 up 0.5%
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Wall St futures higher
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Telecoms sector leads
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Eyes on U.S. CPI
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BRITAIN'S TRAVEL STOCKS TAKE OFF (1127 GMT) Tuesday has been another strong day for London-listed travel stocks. A double-upgrade for easyJet and an upbeat trading update from TUI has pushed the sector back towards an 11-month high hit earlier this month.
TUI, dual-listed in London and Frankfurt, said it was seeing a positive travel recovery trend for the summer season, despite market worries that inflationary pressures might dampen demand for travel.
"There doesn't seem to be any doubt about the lasting appeal of an escape away on holiday," says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, "something which has arguably been strengthened by the pandemic."
For easyJet, Deutsche Bank equity analyst Jaime Rowbotham has flipped positive on the name.
"The UK economic outlook has 'improved dramatically' according to our colleague Sanjay Raja," Rowbotham writes.
"We see this as positive for easyJet, the airline we cover which we think has greatest exposure to the UK." Rowbotham notes that around 40% of easyJet's pre-COVID profit was from the UK and so upgrades the shares from a 'Sell' rating to 'Buy', propelling shares 4% higher on the day. The helped push the FTSE 350 travel and leisure index up 0.9%, heading back towards its highest level since February last year, after around a 35% jump from its October low.
(Samuel Indyk)
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O CONSUMER! MY CONSUMER! PERSONAL SAVINGS NOT DOWN YET (1113 GMT)
How much of the 'excess' personal savings of U.S. consumers remain, following high inflation, interest rate hikes and rising lay-offs? Citigroup says the personal savings, the trajectory of which shapes the outlook for consumption and economic growth, may be larger than the current estimate of the U.S. central bank staff - which is in the range of $1.2 trillion. U.S. consumers were flush with savings during the pandemic and those are currently being drawn down due to higher borrowing costs and inflation. The U.S. Federal Reserve's estimate of excess savings is "likely a floor rather than a ceiling," says the brokerage in a note dated February 13. A prominent paper from the Fed's staff estimates an average expected saving rate of around 8.7% in this cycle (since 2020) and a current saving rate near 9%.
Even modest adjustments to the Fed paper assumptions about saving behavior can raise the
Fed's estimate by several hundred billion dollars, says Citi.
The brokerage adds consumers' balance sheets are more healthy and, "at a minimum their
current state should help buffer the economy during a downturn."
(Siddarth S)
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STOXX 600 UP ON TELECOMS BOOST, BUT TECH FALTERS (0910 GMT)
European stocks are faring better than futures indicated before the open, with the STOXX 600 last up 0.4%.
Astrazeneca , Nestle and TotalEnergies are providing the biggest boost to the index on an index net points weighted basis.
Telecoms are up 1.6%, pushed higher as Vodafone shares tick up 3.9% after news that Liberty Global bought a 5% stake in the British telecoms operator. Travel names are also doing well after positive signals from holiday group TUI about the outlook for summer.
Meanwhile interest-rate sensitive tech names is the only sector slipping slightly
into negative territory this morning, down 0.04%.
(Lucy Raitano)
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DON'T BREAK MY HEART (0755 GMT)
Today's inflation numbers from the world's biggest economy on Valentine's Day will be one of
the most important economic data watched by markets.
While blockbuster January jobs data has forced some market participants to grudgingly accept
that the peak is not yet near for interest rates, investors are still hopeful that the Federal
Reserve could begin cutting rates later this year.
As Toronto-based independent proprietary trader Kevin Muir said: "I don't know if it will
be this release or the next one, but I suspect the market has accepted the return to inflation
normalcy a little too eagerly."
"There appears to be little fear about a lingering inflation problem. Sure, there are a few
pundits warning about inflation, but the market is clearly screaming at the top of its lungs
that inflation worries are misplaced."
The market expects rate increases to ease despite Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledging last
week that rates may need to move higher than expected if that sort of economic strength
threatens the Fed's progress in lowering inflation.
Economists polled by Reuters expect Tuesday's CPI reading to show headline prices and the
core CPI gaining 0.5% and 0.4% month-over-month for January, respectively. However, some
recalibrated their expectations on Monday for a slightly lower CPI.
Asian shares edged up on Tuesday, while the yen recouped losses as Japan nominated a new
central bank governor.
Adding to the positive momentum, sources said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is
considering meeting top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference starting this
week.
This would mark their first face-to-face talks after the United States shot down what it
said was a Chinese spy balloon and other flying objects.
Meanwhile, the deep freeze over UK assets is thawing.
After last year's upheaval, Britain's stocks and bonds are drawing strong investor interest,
with the FTSE 100 stock index flirting with record highs as the bourse benefits from
global trends such as the reopening of China's economy and strong energy prices.
Ten-year government bond yields have fallen 27 basis points so far in 2023 to 3.4% in one of the biggest declines in government financing rates among the Group of
Seven most advanced economies.
A Reuters poll published on Tuesday showed that the Bank of England will make its final
increase to borrowing costs in the current cycle next month to combat double-digit inflation,
while the economy is almost certainly entering a recession.
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her coalition allies scored emphatic election
wins in the two wealthiest regions of the country, strengthening the right's grip on power.
Meanwhile, Qatari investors are preparing to make a bid to buy Premier League club
Manchester United in the coming days, Bloomberg reported.
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
European economic data: Euro zone flash Q4 GDP, UK Dec jobs, Jan unemployment count
U.S. CPI data due: Jan CPI - core CPI forecast at +0.4% from +0.3% in Dec, +5.5%
year-on-year from +5.7%
(Anshuman Daga)
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EUROPEAN FUTURES EDGE UP AHEAD OF U.S. CPI (0742 GMT)
Has the market been too optimistic about the rate of inflation as of late?
We should have at least a semblance of an answer later today, when U.S. CPI figures land. Perhaps understandably, European futures are making tentative moves higher this morning. STOXX futures , DAX futures and FTSE futures are all up about 0.1%while U.S. futures are flat.
A majority of economists polled by Reuters think the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at least twice more in coming months, with the risk they go higher still, and they see no cut by year-end. European earnings continue to trickle through, as does the impact of inflation on companies' performance. Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro said inflationary pressures in 2023 are likely to subside, though the outlook is "unpredictable", as it posted a bigger-than-expected fall in fourth-quarter core profit.
Meanwhile, holiday group TUI , said on Tuesday it was seeing a positive
travel recovery trend for the upcoming summer season.
(Lucy Raitano)
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