Squawk Box Europe Express

Ten-year Treasury yields hit a two-year high sparking a Wall Street sell-off as investors brace themselves for a possible rate hike at next week’s Fed meeting. However, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink tells CNBC he remains sanguine about any tightening at this point. We have more bank earnings from Wall St. with Goldman Sachs plunges almost 7 per cent in yesterday’s session as its Q4 costs come in higher than expected. Microsoft seals the biggest tech deal of all time, snapping up gaming company Activision Blizzard in a deal worth $67bn. And, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Kiev in a bid to quell tensions with Moscow. CNBC hears from Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU who says the bloc’s dependency on Russian gas is central to resolving the stand-off.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Asian equities slump and U.S. futures fall, while yields climb, ahead of a big week for the Fed. In Japan, the BoJ lifts inflation forecasts and says risks are generally balanced. Newly appointed German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock arrives in Moscow following talks with her Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv, as tensions with Russia show no signs of abating. And in Brussels, euro zone finance ministers meet in an attempt to agree a new debt reduction plan for the bloc. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From politics to sports to banking giants, Covid rule breaches threaten the positions of the powerful. Credit Suisse chairman António Horta-Osório is forced to resign after breaching restrictions in Switzerland on several occasions. Former UBS Group COO Axel Lehmann has been named his successor. In M&A news, Unilever’s £50bn offer for GSK’s consumer unit is slapped down. However, GSK has assured investors it remains committed to spinning off the business. Meanwhile, Chinese GDP grew by 8 per cent in 2021 but expansion has decelerated to an 18-month low. The PBOC has cut a key loan rate in an attempt to aid economic activity. And UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces more pressure ahead of the ‘Partygate’ investigation report. Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer says the lockdown rule-breaking at No. 10 and other ministries means Johnson has “lost the moral authority to lead” and needs to resign.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com

Tech stocks weigh on U.S. and Asian markets with the Nasdaq breaking a three-day winning streak and the Nikkei slumping. Producer price inflation Stateside hits its highest level in 12 years, while several Fed members take a more hawkish line on rate hikes. Chinese imports come in far lower than expected but exports are propped up by global demand. In tech news, German software giant SAP issues strong guidance for 2022 and predicts a better-than-expected Q4.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. consumer inflation hits a four-decade high but President Biden says prices have peaked. U.S. futures are down ahead of an earnings season where S&P 500 companies are expected to deliver Q4 growth upwards of 20 per cent. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a chorus of calls to resign after admitting he did attend a Downing Street drinks party in May 2020 while the country was subject to strict lockdown measures. And NATO and Russia remain locked in a standoff over Ukraine, as both sides refuse to give ground on key demands despite hours of talks in Brussels.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. Fed chair Jerome Powell testifies in front of the Senate Banking Committee and warns law makers that inflation remains a severe threat. However, Powell insisted that the U.S. economy is now robust enough not to require additional pandemic-level monetary stimulus. Powell’s main task would be to keep inflation in check, as U.S. markets look ahead to a CPI print today which could hit a high not seen for 40 years. Tech stocks rally in Wall Street and Hong Kong. Chinese factory and consumer price growth has softened after Beijing moves to curb rising raw material costs. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tenure looks increasingly fragile following fresh Covid rule-breaking allegations by his government. And we take you to St. Moritz, Switzerland with the latest from the Crypto Finance Conference.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Nasdaq dips in to correction territory but wins back losses of more than 2 per cent. We hear exclusively from Goldman Sachs’s David Kostin who says the tech disconnect is the largest issue for clients. U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell is set to testify in the Senate where he will address the effect inflation is having on the American economy while JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon predicts the U.S. is headed for its best growth phase in decades, even in the face of rate hikes. Investment fund Cerberus sells off more than $500m of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank stocks. And in Covid news, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announces that the pharma giant will have a new Omicron vaccine this 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. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says high-stakes talks between Washington and Moscow are unlikely to progress over Ukraine, as Russian troops gather on the border. In China, 14 million people are being tested for Covid over 2 days in the north-eastern port city of Tianjin – less than an hour from the capital. December payrolls in the U.S. come in weaker than expected but unemployment falls. And in banking news, Italy’s BPER reportedly improves its offer for Carige in a bid to fend off rival interest from French lender Credit Agricole.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. treasury yields continue to surge with investors bracing for an accelerated winding down of monetary support, while billionaire investor Ray Dalio tells CNBC the Fed is in a ‘delicate’ position. The WHO warns of an Omicron tsunami as global health systems struggle, but it says vaccine equity could end the pandemic this year. Oil prices pop as the violence continues in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, with scores killed and up to 3,000 detained. Russian troops have been called in to restore order. And in the U.S., President Biden marks the one-year anniversary of the deadly storming of Capitol Hill.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. tech majors slide and the 10-year yield touches 1.7% after the Fed minutes hint at efforts to shrink the balance sheet together with rate hikes. At least seven EU countries report record daily Covid cases – while the UK eases testing rules. And French supermarket giant Auchan eyes a second bid for rival Carrefour after initial takeover talks were suspended in October.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dow hits a new record high as investor confidence picks up, but tech stocks slump on a rotation out of the sector. Opec nations hold their nerve against the Omicron outbreak and agree to boost output for the seventh consecutive month. China Mobile lists in Shanghai in the country’s biggest domestic IPO in a decade. Meanwhile in Europe, Covid cases continue to surge with new daily highs recorded in France and the UK.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dow and the S&P 500 begin 2022 with fresh records, as Apple becomes the first U.S. company to achieve a $3 tn market cap. Troubled Chinese property giant Evergrande’s shares resume trading after authorities order it to demolish 39 developments on the tropical island of Hainan. Chinese manufacturing beats expectations in December as input prices fall to their lowest level since May 2020. And Daimler unveils an EV concept car with a 1000km range, but CTO Markus Schäfer tells CNBC exclusively that the chip crunch is likely to continue into the new year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. futures begin 2022 pointing high but Asian equities are softer with the Hang Seng under pressure, as Evergrande is halted, pending the release of inside information. Turkish inflation rockets, with CPI up 13% on the month. France becomes the sixth country in the world to record 10mn covid cases, as it eases restrictions. Tesla beats its own delivery and production records in Q4, delivering almost 1mn units in 2021. And U.S. President Joe Biden reassures his Ukrainian counterpart that America would respond decisively should Moscow invade.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese manufacturing activity beats expectations for December, in spite of continuing Covid restrictions. U.S. markets are set to end 2021 strongly with Wall Street eyeing its best three-year run since the late 1990s. The WHO warns of a ‘tsunami’ of global Covid cases as the Omicron variant peaks in at least 20 countries. And Presidents Biden and Putin hold talks about de-escalating tensions over Ukraine but find no resolution as they trade warnings and threats.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The S&P 500 hits a 70th record high this year, with U.S. markets set to finish a volatile year on a high. NIAID director Anthony Fauci tells CNBC that the Omicron variant surge is likely to peak in the U.S. by the end of January. In China, troubled property giant Evergrande reportedly misses another bond payment, causing shares to slide. In IPO news, Chinese AI firm Sensetime sees a stellar Hong Kong debut. And President Biden accepts President Putin’s request for talks later this afternoon, as tensions over the Ukrainian border continue to simmer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a mixed scene in U.S. markets as the S&P 500 dips from a new intra-day record while the Dow posts its fifth straight positive session. New studies suggest that Omicron will displace the Delta variant of Covid as global cases top one million for a second day. In Hong Kong, police raid the offices of Stand News – one of the territory’s few remaining pro-democracy newspapers – for alleged “seditious publication”. Washington and Moscow are scheduled to hold talks early in the new year as Russian troops continue to mass on the Ukrainian border.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The S&P closes at a record high as the rebound continues from the Omicron-induced sell-off, ahead of what’s expected to be thin trade in a reduced festive session here in Europe. A major U.K. study indicates Omicron is up to 70% less likely to send patients to hospital – but the Health Secretary says it’s too soon to know the next steps, as COVID cases hit record levels. Russia and the U.S. will hold talks over Ukraine within weeks, amid what Moscow claims are existential threats from NATO. And, Peter Parker saves the day for Hollywood, as Spiderman: No Way Home crosses $800 million at the global box office – while Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson tells CNBC the pandemic has changed things.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 rally for a second day, propelling Asian stocks higher as investors continue to look past COVID risks and count down to Christmas. In the U.K., COVID cases top 100,000 for the first time – as Wales and Northern Ireland set out new rules to tackle the Omicron-infused surge. The World Health Organisation warns “no country can boost its way out of the pandemic,” with Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus calling for greater vaccine equity. And Tesla shares rally as Elon Musk says he has almost completed his pledge to sell 10% of his stake in the EV-maker.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wall Street rebounds, breaking a three-day losing streak as investors set aside Omicron concerns – with airlines and energy companies leading the charge. It’s another volatile 24 hours for Turkey’s lira, but the currency holds on to gains as the President outlines plans to safeguard against price swings. In the U.S., President Joe Biden unveils his strategy for tackling the Omicron variant, and calls on Americans to get vaccinated this Christmas. And, Sweden, Portugal and Germany bring back some restrictions amid the Omicron surge, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warns it cannot be ignored.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Its covid across the board today as the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, holds off from tightening covid restrictions despite mounting pressure. There were more than 90,000 confirmed cases of covid in the UK on Monday with cases doubling every week. German federal and state leaders will meet today to discuss tougher covid restrictions as hospitals bear the strain of rising cases and emergency staff illness. Meanwhile, President Biden is set to unveil steps to combat an increase in covid cases in the U.S today as new data shows omicron now accounts for around 73% of new cases across the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.