In This Article:
Economic Calendar:
Friday, 5th February
German Factory Orders (MoM) (Dec)
French Non-Farm Payrolls (QoQ) (Q4)
The Majors
It was another bullish day for the European majors on Thursday, with the DAX30 and CAC40 rising by 0.91% and by 0.82% respectively. The EuroStoxx600 saw a more modest 0.56% gain on the day.
It was a 4th consecutive daily gain for the DAX30 and the EuroStoxx600 as the majors reversed losses from last week.
Hopes of a speedier economic recovery provided support on Thursday. News of further fiscal measures from the German government supported the DAX30 and the broader market.
From the U.S, expectations of the Democrats delivering a $1.9 trillion stimulus package also continued to support the majors.
The Stats
It was a quieter day on the economic calendar. Key stats included German construction PMI and Eurozone retail sales figures.
From the ECB, the Economic Bulletin also drew interest on the day, as the markets look to get a sense of what lies ahead.
In January, Germany’s IHS Markit Construction PMI fell from 47.1 to 46.6
Of greater significance, however, were Eurozone retail sales figures for December.
Retail sales rose by 2.0%, in December, partially reversing a 5.7% decline from November.
According to Eurostat,
-
Automotive fuel sales jumped by 5.1%, with food, drinks, & tobacco sales climbing by 1.9%.
-
Non-food product sales rose by 1.5%, supported by a 12.4% surge in prices for clothing & footwear.
By member state,
-
France (+22.3%), Belgium (+15.9%), and Ireland (+11.4%) saw the largest increases in sales.
-
The Netherlands (-10.9%) and Germany (-9.6%) recorded the largest declines.
From the ECB, the Economic Bulletin also drew interest on the day.
Salient points from the Bulletin included:
-
Having increased by close to 14% in Q3, consumer spending weaned in Q4 as a result of containment measures.
-
Short-term labor market indicators have continued to improve, but are still signaling contractionary developments.
-
The 2nd wave of the pandemic points to downside risks to investment in Q1 2021.
-
Following a bounce in euro area trade in Q3, growth in trade has moderated.
-
Looking forward, the roll-out of vaccines allows for greater confidence in the resolution of the health crisis.
From the U.S
Weekly jobless claims figures for the week ending 29th January and factory orders for December were in focus.
In the week ending 29th January, initial jobless claims eased back from 812k to 779k. Economists had forecast a rise to 830k.
Factory orders were also upbeat, with orders rising by a further 1.1% in December. In November, orders had increased by 1.3%.