MORNING BID EUROPE-JUMPY AROUND JOBS (0530)
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has made sure there is heightened focus on today's U.S. payrolls
data. In his speech to Congress, Powell curiously mentioned this data point as one among a
couple of indicators framing the Fed's thinking around how far and fast interest rates need to
rise.
That nervous anticipation isn't the only thing weighing on markets. Asian banking and tech stocks are weak, after a plunge in the S&P 500 bank index overnight marking its biggest one-day drop in nearly three years.
That was triggered by startup lender SVB Financial Group's share sale announcement
and crypto bank Silvergate's decision to wind down operations.
Investors head into Friday pricing in a roughly 63% likelihood of a larger, 50 basis point
increase to the Fed funds target rate this month, after Thursday's U.S. jobs report showing a
rise in jobless claims pushed Treasury yields down and reduced inversion in the front
of the curve.
The nail-biting around payrolls has meant investors barely reacted to other unsurprising but
orchestrated developments in Asia.
Xi Jinping secured a precedent-breaking third five-year term on Friday as China's president
as he tightens his grip as the country's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Haruhiko Kuroda concluded his last policy meeting as Bank of Japan governor, leaving Japan's
ultra-low interest rates and controversial bond yield control policy an issue for successor
Kazuo Ueda to tackle.
Key developments that could influence markets on Friday:
U.S. February payrolls U.K. January industrial production
(Vidya Ranganathan)
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Stronger-than-expected job market ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
