PMIs to Highlight Improving Economic Outlook Across Eurozone; Fed’s Dudley to Speak Amid Speculation He is Due to Retire; Trump Asia Visit Key This Week.
US futures are trading relatively flat ahead of the open on Monday, struggling to gather any real momentum after having recorded all-time high closes again on Friday on the back of decent jobs data.
The Federal Reserve could begin shrinking its $4.5-trillion balance sheet as soon as this year, New York Fed President William Dudley said on Friday, earlier than most Wall Street economists expect.
Early last week, financial markets saw just a 30 % chance of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates in March; but by Friday after a striking series of comments from Fed officials, including Chair Janet Yellen, traders saw an 80 % chance.
The U.S. election of Donald Trump has created "considerable" uncertainty over the policies he will pursue so it is too soon for the Federal Reserve to judge whether its plan for gradual interest rate hikes needs adjusting, one of the most influential Fed policymakers said on Monday.
The euro was trading just above a three-month low against the dollar on Thursday, with the focus on whether European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will indicate that the bank is poised to taper its bond purchase program.
Banks need to continue to monitor the way they reward employees to ensure they promote good conduct, one of the country's top financial regulators said on Thursday.
The Federal Reserve must approach further rate hikes cautiously and gradually because of lingering external risks to the U.S. economy, despite some strength at home and welcome hints of inflation, an influential Fed official said on Friday.
An influential Federal Reserve official on Tuesday said he sees downside risks to his U.S. economic outlook, an assessment that could flag a longer pause before the Fed's next interest-rate hike than he and his colleagues had earlier signaled.
Today’s insight includes a surprise spinoff from Yum! Brands, speeches from members of the Bank of England, rising natural gas prices, and mixed economic data in the United States..
