A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee
Asian markets kept up their November rally and the dollar dipped to three-month low, but big-name fast-fashion company Shein stole the market spotlight with an IPO filing that will likely test investor appetite for new listings.
Shein, known for its $10 tops and $5 biker shorts, filed confidentially for a U.S. IPO, sources told Reuters, with the China-founded and Singapore-based firm expected to go public sometime next year.
Whether this potential blockbuster gives a fillip to the lacklustre IPO market remains to be seen, after some high-profile public debuts this year failed to impress.
On a macro level, the theme remains the same: Traders are getting fidgety about whether the Fed is well and truly done with interest rate hikes, and when it is likely to start cutting rates – presumably next year.
The Fed’s focus on beating inflation means Thursday’s core personal consumption expenditures data, the central bank’s preferred measure of inflation, will be the main event this week, with investors hesitant to place major bets and keeping share markets within a narrow range.
Risk appetite got a boost this month after data releases that hinted at easing inflation, stoking expectations that central banks had reached their interest rate peaks.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan is on course for its strongest monthly performance since January with a nearly 7% gain.
Japan’s Nikkei, Asia’s best-performing stock market this year, is set for its strongest monthly result in three years.
European stock markets are likely to see a subdued start to Tuesday, futures indicate, with a bare economic calendar leaving investors treading cautiously ahead of major economic data.
Meanwhile, British shopper numbers and transactions on Black Friday were lower than last year’s, disappointing retailers looking for a pick-up in spending after a subdued October.
In contrast, U.S. spending online on Cyber Monday is set to exceed $12 billion, a record, according to preliminary estimates from Adobe Digital Insights, with price-conscious consumers favouring buy-now pay-later services to ease stress on their wallets.
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
France consumer confidence for November, Euro zone money M3 annual growth for October.
(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
