European Stocks Set for Positive Open
European equity markets were set to open higher on Friday as a pullback in global bond yields improved sentiment, although growing fiscal concerns in France pushed the country’s 10-year government bond yield to its highest level since 2002. Japanese firm Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management sold its entire holdings of French government bonds amid concerns over the country’s fiscal outlook, reallocating funds to German bunds and short-term Japanese government bonds. Investors also monitored volatility in oil markets as the US considered deploying an additional aircraft carrier and 10,000 troops to the Middle East, raising the risk of further disruptions to regional energy supplies and renewed inflation pressures. Meanwhile, investors will assess September Eurozone inflation data, along with Spanish unemployment figures and Italian retail sales. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 futures were both up around 0.2%.
European equity markets were set to open higher on Friday as a pullback in global bond yields improved sentiment, although growing fiscal concerns in France pushed the country’s 10-year government bond yield to its highest level since 2002. Japanese firm Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management sold its entire holdings of French government bonds amid concerns over the country’s fiscal outlook, reallocating funds to German bunds and short-term Japanese government bonds.
Investors also monitored volatility in oil markets as the US considered deploying an additional aircraft carrier and 10,000 troops to the Middle East, raising the risk of further disruptions to regional energy supplies and renewed inflation pressures. Meanwhile, investors will assess September Eurozone inflation data, along with Spanish unemployment figures and Italian retail sales. 2%.