London-European stock markets largely steadied Monday after some losses in Asia, as investors awaited earnings from US tech behemoths this week.
Wall Street opened slightly up in morning trade, while markets were flat in London and Paris. All eyes will be on results from the likes of Amazon, Facebook owner Meta, Google-parent Alphabet and Microsoft. The companies’ health and outlook reports could give clues regarding the Federal Reserve’s next move regarding interest rates.
“The first quarter earnings reporting period will go into hyperdrive this week, which is partly why things are starting today at a slow pace,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare. “The real rush of reporting starts Tuesday.”
There is uncertainty on when the Fed will end its campaign of raising rates, let alone when it could begin to cut borrowing costs. Inflation remains elevated, but there is an expectation the US and other economies could avoid falling into recession this year.
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A survey Monday revealed that business confidence in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, edged up in April. At the same time, analysts warned that optimism about falling energy prices and China’s reopening was being offset by worries about higher interest rates. Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management noted that China’s rebound following the end of its growth-sapping zero-Covid policies was likely to cool, relying now on higher income growth and improved consumer sentiment. “So the easy part is done; now, the consumer will need to do the bulk of the heavy lifting,” he said.
- Credit Suisse woes -
Also this week, investors will be watching important economic data from South Korea, Australia and the eurozone, as well as Bank of Japan chief Kazuo Ueda’s approach as he chairs his first key policy meeting.
Responding to questions in parliament on Monday, Ueda suggested the bank would stay the course in terms of monetary stimulus, adding that inflation was expected to cool below two percent in the second half of the fiscal year ending next March. Elsewhere on the corporate front, Credit Suisse revealed that more than $68 billion was withdrawn in the first three months of 2023, in what are likely its final quarterly results before it is swallowed by rival UBS.
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The bank saw its net profit swell to $13.9 billion -- up from a significant loss a year earlier -- after holders of high-risk Credit Suisse debt were wiped out in the emergency takeover deal. Vontobel analyst Andreas Venditti warned in a research note that Credit Suisse’s report “reveals the bad shape the firm is in”. “UBS undoubtedly faces a major (and urgent) task in deeply restructuring its former competitor,” he said.