European stocks rose amid earnings beats, offsetting weakness in the energy sector and easing investor concerns ahead of the weekend’s French election. Asian shares and U.S. futures also rise. The dollar weakens against the euro and most crosses, while crude oil rebounds following renewed OPEC chatter of a production cut, this time with Saudi Arabia seemingly onboard.
European stocks rebounded after the biggest one-day drop since November, alongside S&P futures, while Asian equities posted modest declines after yesterday's weak US close. Gold and yen slid, while the dollar gained on the latest Mnuchin comments to the FT according to which Trump was "absolutely not" trying to talk down the dollar.
On his first full working day in the White House, President Trump issued an executive order implementing a hiring freeze until such time that his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director, a position now filled by Mick Mulvaney, could recommend a “long-term plan” to reduce the federal workforce. While the initial EO allowed 90 days for such a plan to be crafted and presented, like many of Trump's other policy initiatives, that deadline proved overly aggressive and has been pushed back to the end of June, with final plans due in September...the swamp apparently doesn't drain a
With volume starting to fade ahead of Friday's holiday, and geopolitical concerns growing as a US aircraft carrier approaches North Korean, S&P futures pointed to a slightly lower open, in line with stock markets in Europe and Asia. Safe havens such as gold and treasuries strengthened along with Japanese yen, which erased all of yesterday's losses and neared its 110 support on investor caution about global security risks and the future of U.S. interest rates after Yellen's Monday speech failed to provide clarity.
S&P futures point to a slightly lower open, while Asian and European stocks are likewise modestly in the red. Trading volumes are muted for most markets on Monday with investors spooked by rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula. It is also a holiday-shortened week in much of the West. As Bloomberg puts it, there is a "sense of unease" across markets, with global stocks mixed as investors weighed looming security risks and French bonds retreating ahead of the election following the surprising surge of far-leftist Melenchon in the polls.