Squawk Box Europe Express

The Federal Reserve signals that it will maintain rates at a higher level for longer following the release of December’s FOMC meeting’s minutes. It is expected to slow the pace of hikes while ruling out any cuts this year. U.S. markets are in the green for the first time this year amid a dip in manufacturing activity and a strong employment scenario. China’s service sector contracts for the fourth consecutive month as rising Covid rates hamper consumer demand. The EU urges a coordinated testing regime on Chinese arrivals to the bloc while the WHO accuses Beijing of opacity over its Covid data. E-commerce giant Amazon announces it will cut up to 18,000 jobs as lay-offs increase throughout the tech sector.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apple’s market cap falls below $2tn on the first trading day of the year as shares slump. The iPhone maker’s decline continues into 2023 after a year which saw its valuation drop by $1tn. Tesla misses Q4 delivery estimates, causing shares to slump 12 per cent. CEO Elon Musk now faces an investor backlash over demand and supply chain concerns. Forecasts of warmer winter temperatures push U.S. and European natural gas prices lower, helping to ease inflationary pressures in Germany. In Washington, House Republicans are in disarray after failing to elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker after three votes – the first majority leader not to receive his party’s backing in a century. And in New York, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges. His trial date is set for October.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Global markets start the new year positively after Wall Street posted its worst-performing year since 2008. IUMF Managing director Kristalina Georgieva has warned of a tough 12 months ahead. Chinese manufacturing activity at state firms hovers near a three-year low following the abolition of Covid regulations. President Xi Jinping has told his nation that the next phase in its Covid response would prove to be challenging. In corporate news, Tesla has posted record Q4 production and delivery numbers but misses estimates as supply chain issues and recession concerns continue to weigh. CNBC learns that Sam Bankman-Fried will plead not guilty to fraud charges over the collapse of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. markets end 2023 in the green with the S&P500 recording its best day all month and the Nasdaq claws back some of December’s losses. However, Wall Street as a whole is still on track to mark its most torrid year since the Great Financial Crisis. In China stocks are up despite the country suffering a huge Covid exit wave with several nations imposing travel restrictions on Chinese nationals. Oil prices end 2023 on a high after a bumper year for IOCs. Investors are now eyeing China’s reopening and Europe’s energy crunch in the new year. Russia continues to pound Kyiv with missiles following its largest aerial assault since the start of the war. U.S. President Biden has pledged more support for Ukrainian forces in his 2023 spending bill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Equities around the world continue to pull back at year-end. U.S. markets are set for their worst year since 2008, amid the backdrop of China’s post-Covid reopening. Several Asian nations, the U.S. and Italy re-impose testing demands on Chinese travellers following positive Covid results among 50 per cent of passengers arriving on two flights in Milan. Exxon is taking the EU to court over its windfall tax rules following the increase in levies ordered by Brussels. And in tech news, Apple shares tumble to a one-year low below a key $129 technical level. Investors are now bracing for the tech rout to spread into other sectors.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. markets make a tepid return to trade as the China re-opening rally stutters. The S&P500 is now on course for its seventh-worst year ever. As Beijing unwinds its zero-Covid restrictions, the Hang Seng outperforms in Asia. Hong Kong is reportedly set scrap its Covid testing and vaccine mandate rules for international travellers. Russia has vowed to ban oil sales to any country abiding by the West’s $60 barrel price cap. And in auto news, Tesla is forced to pause production at its Shanghai plant causing shares to fall by more than 10 per cent – their worst performance by month, quarter and year to date.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China scraps its quarantine rules for international travellers as its continues to wind back Covid restrictions, marking its biggest push yet towards reopening its borders since the pandemic. Violent blizzards hit much of the U.S. through the Christmas weekend, with tens of thousands of homes left without power and scores of flights grounded. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says Kyiv would be open to a UN-backed peace summit aimed at ending Russia's invasion, but stresses he wants to see Moscow pay for its actions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. equities see the sell-off resume, killing off hope of a Santa Clause rally with tech stocks leading the losses. Billionaire investor David Tepper tells CNBC he is bearish on stocks. Tesla shares are down almost 9 per cent on demand concerns but manages to claw back some losses in extended trade. CEO Elon Musk will now not sell off any more shares until 2025. Border Force staff in the UK go on strike sparking travel chaos while in the U.S. thousands of flights are grounded by a ‘bomb cyclone’ winter storm. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is released on a $250m bail and ordered to remain under house arrest as he awaits trial for federal fraud charges.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wall Street enjoys a second consecutive day in the green, boosted by better-than-expected data and strong earnings from Nike and FedEx. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy addresses the U.S. Congress during his first trip abroad since the Russian invasion, saying that next year will be a turning point in the conflict against Russia. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been extradited to the U.S. as two of his top executives plead guilty to federal fraud charges in New York. In tech news, U.S. chip maker Micron’s share slump after it suspends bonuses and announces it is slashing its workforce by 10 per cent following a first-quarter loss.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. markets break a four-day losing streak but indices are still set to post their worst year since 2008. The BoJ’s yield curve tweak pushes the yen to its strongest in more than 4 months. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has announced his first foreign trip since the start of the conflict. He is due to meet President Joe Biden and address the U.S. Congress later today. U.S. sportswear giant Nike sees shares soar by 12 per cent in extended trade after beating expectations and raising its guidance. Elon Musk is reportedly searching for someone “foolish enough” to take over from him as Twitter CEO following the result of his own online poll.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a surprise move the BoJ loosens its yield curve control band causing the yen to pop and the Nikkei to sell off in what is seen to be a hint that the central bank is tightening monetary policy. In the U.S. hopes of a Santa rally fade as Wall Street posts its fourth consecutive session in the red as recession concerns show no signs of abating. Meta shares slump following an EU ruling which show the tech giant had breached anti-trust rules. It may now be fined up to $12bn. And in energy news, EU countries have agreed a gas cap compromise that would come into effect from February. However, Hungary has already voiced its opposition to the ‘dangerous’ measure saying it would leave European energy supplies vulnerable.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wall Street is in the red and Asian markets follow suit after a week of hawkish messaging from the world’s largest central banks. We hear from BNP Paribas chairman Jean Lemierre who says that rate hikes are the price to pay need to rein in inflation. New Twitter owner Elon Musk surveys users whether he should step down as CEO of the social media platform. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried reverses his decision to fight U.S. extradition efforts where he faces allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Global equities see sharp sell-offs following this week’s rate hikes in the U.S. and Europe with warnings of more to come. All three major U.S. indices as well as the STOXX600 slump to their lowest level since November. Both the ECB and BoE push rates up by a further 50bps but say that rate increases will continue into 2023. In Brussels, EU leaders agree on more aid to Ukraine and how to respond to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. However, a corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament continues to deepen. We hear exclusively from the CEO of shipping titan MSC, Soren Toft, who says his firm is ready to capitalise on a predicted import/export recovery from China following Beijing’s relaxation of its zero-Covid policy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell lifts rates by 50bps and signals that the hiking path will continue into 2023, with its terminal rate up above 5 per cent. Investors now await the ECB and BoE to follow the Fed’s moves amid faint hopes that inflation may have peaked. In China, industrial production growth slumps in November while retail is down by almost 6 per cent as the countries zero-Covid restrictions continue to hamstring the economy. As EU leaders meet in Brussels to respond to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, we hear from Estonian PM Kaja Kallas who says competition rules cannot simply be ‘thrown out of the window’.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Founder and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is denied bail in the Bahamas as he faces criminal charges over the collapse of the crypto exchange. Prosecutors have called it called it the largest embezzlement in U.S. history. Meanwhile rival exchange Binance have denied fears of contagion in the sector despite, according to crypto analytics firm Nansen, seeing $3bn of withdrawals within 24 hours. U.S. inflation data for November comes in lower than expected pushing Wall Street marginally higher. Investors now expect a 50bps rate hike from the Federal Reserve later today. And in Brussels, EU energy ministers fail yet again to compromise on a cap on gas prices with another meeting scheduled for next week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested in the Bahamas and faces extradition to the United States, with prosecutors expected to charge the former poster boy of the Crypto industry with wire and securities fraud. U.S. equities kick off a crucial week of central bank decisions and economic data on a high, with investors hoping for a softer inflation print stateside today that could set the tone going into 2023. China and Hong Kong continue to ease Covid restrictions, dropping their state-mandated mobile tracking apps as the region continues to unwind some of the world's strictest curbs. EU Energy Ministers prepare to meet in Brussels for crunch talks on a gas price cap as the bloc is warned about potential shortages next winter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. markets post their worst weekly performance since September, ahead of a busy week - with U.S. CPI data and a slew of central bank rate decisions in focus. Hong Kong's Hang Seng leads losses in Asia, with tech and property stocks under pressure. Crude climbs after Russia's Vladimir Putin threatens to turn off the taps to Europe, while a cold snap hits the continent and puts its energy security to the test. European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili is suspended from her party, after Belgian police detain 2 MEPs and seize €600,000 in cash in a series of weekend raids.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Prices at China's factory gates fall for the second straight month, and consumer inflation slows on weak demand, while Asian stocks take heart from Beijing's easing of Covid curbs. The S&P snaps a five-day losing streak and part of the yield curve sees its deepest inversion since 2001, as investors eye producer price data for clues into the Fed's rate hiking path. U.S. regulators sue to block Microsoft’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard over concerns it would harm competition in the gaming space. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is warned he could be subpoenaed to testify on Capitol Hill next week, as the SEC calls on public companies to disclose their crypto exposure amid fears of further contagion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

ECB staff discuss strike action after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer, as the central bank's own survey shows price pressures are set to rise next year. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumps on local media reports authorities are considering a further easing of Covid measures, with tech stocks leading the charge. China's president Xi Jinping starts his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia in a bid to boost ties with the region. The S&P 500 posts its fifth straight negative session as rate concerns cloud the outlook, while consumer borrowing climbs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China relaxes Covid measures, removing the need for negative test results before travel and allowing home quarantine. U.S. equities slide, with the S&P 500 posting its fourth straight day of losses while JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon tells CNBC falling consumer wealth could spark a downturn. NBC News projects Raphael Warnock will win a crucial run-off race in Georgia, giving the Democrats an ouright majority in the Senate and delivering a blow to former President Donald Trump. And, Meta slides as the company threatens to pull news from Facebook, as its ad model reportedly comes under pressure in Europe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.