Squawk Box Europe Express

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives a confidence vote, but his leadership is rocked after more than 40% of his own MPs vote to remove him from office. Across in China, Didi Chuxing was up almost 25% amid a report Chinese authorities may allow the ride hailing companies app back into domestic app stores. The Australian dollar spikes as the central bank lifts rates by a bigger-than-expected 50 basis points, the largest single rate hike since the start of the century and the first move since 2013. Elon Musk threatens to walk away from his 44 billion dollar deal to buy the social media platform unless the group provides more information on fake accounts.

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Global stocks show resilience amid a stronger than expected US jobs print. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester tells CNBC the fight against rising prices is ongoing. Chinese service sector activity contracts for the third straight month, while Beijing eases Covid restrictions in a bid to stave off an economic downturn. Crude prices gain after Saudi Arabia hikes the price-tag of its flagship product, signaling strong demand expectations even as OPEC-plus producers accelerate output increases. A U-turn for Elon Musk as the Tesla CEO backtracks on claims the automaker will need to cut 10 percent of its workforce, after saying he feels 'super bad' about the economy. 

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JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warns of an economic “hurricane” on the horizon as the Federal Reserve scrambles to wind back Covid-era policy in a bid to rein in inflation. Recession fears weigh on U.S. markets on the first day of June trading. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNBC that the White House is working on various fronts to bring inflation down. Crude prices fall following reports that Saudi Arabia could be ready to boost production should sanction-hit Russian oil decline. Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg is to step down after 14 years with the Facebook parent company. She will be replaced by Meta’s chief growth officer Javier Olivan this autumn.  

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Opec is reportedly set to review its Russia oil deal while the UK will back this week’s EU sea-delivered crude embargo agreement. In the U.S., President Biden has held talks with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to discuss surging inflation. Biden promised to back the central bank’s strategy and independence in tackling price pressures. Euro zone inflation soars to its highest level since the currency was launched, causing bond yields to plunge. The decline in Chinese factory activity has eased but remains in contraction territory after authorities finally lift restrictions in Shanghai. And in banking news, Deutsche Bank’s asset manager unit DWS is raided by police conducting a ‘greenwashing’ investigation.  

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Oil is up after EU leaders agree to a Russian crude embargo. The deal features an exemption for pipeline deliveries after Hungarian-led opposition. President Joe Biden is to meet Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell following his re-confirmation. China manufacturing activity declines for the third consecutive month but there are signs of easing as Covid restrictions are beginning to lift in Beijing and Shanghai. In banking news, Credit Suisse has slapped down suggestions it is looking to bolster its balance sheet following recent losses. Specialty chemicals giant DSM creates a merger of equals with Swiss fragrance and flavour company Firmenich.  

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Asian stocks are at a three-week high following the S&P 500 and Dow’s rebound on Wall Street last week. Beijing reopens shopping centres and its subway system while Shanghai says it will remove almost all Covid restrictions by mid-week. German economy minister Robert Habeck warns that European unity on a Russian oil embargo is “starting to crumble” ahead of today’s extraordinary council meeting. And Just Eat Takeaway’s move to sell Grubhub is in question as the firm is set to take a multibillion-dollar writedown.  

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U.S. markets are buoyed by retail stocks with department store giant Macy’s lifting guidance. In China, industrial profits plunge as Beijing's zero-Covid policies hurt manufacturers and supply chains. But tech giants Alibaba and Baidu beat earnings expectations to boost shares in Hong Kong. Staying with tech, Broadcom is set to snap up cloud computing firm VMWare in a $61bn deal. And, in the U.K., BP says it will review its North Sea investments after Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils a windfall tax, giving hundreds of pounds to households in a bid to ease the cost-of-living crisis.

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U.S. markets are up with the Dow set to break an eight-week losing streak, despite Fed minutes indicating the central bank may raise rates beyond neutral and into restrictive territory. We speak to ECB Countil Member Klaas Knot who suggests a 50bps hike as early as July is “not off the table”. In a bid to stave off its first national default for 100 years, Russia offers to pay off dollar debt in rubles. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba tells CNBC that Russia is using the release of food supplies in Ukrainian ports as a blackmailing tool against the West to ease sanctions and that stronger measures are required against the Kremlin.  

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Doom and gloom in Davos overnight after billionaire investor George Soros issues dour economic warnings about China’s zero-Covid policy and the potential for a civilisation-ending Third World War. We hear from EC President Ursula Von Der Leyen who says the bloc is ready to green-light a Russian oil embargo “within days”. She also urged every nation to help Ukraine with its reconstruction efforts, including the use of Russian assets. U.S. retailers, led by an outlook hike from Nordstrom, rebound, lifting Wall Street back into positive territory. Treasury yields are also down to their lowest level since April ahead of Fed minutes due today. Swiss miner Glencore is slapped with $1.5bn bill to settle bribery charges in three countries. And in autos news, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has warned policy makers that car companies will struggle to meet demand for EVs due to continuing raw material shortages.

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We hear from Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez who says the war in Ukraine is hampering the EU recovery but remains optimistic over the bloc’s unity and strong fundamentals. Speaking at a CNBC panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva warns of increasing economic challenges while Citi boss Jane Fraser believes a recession is inevitable. We also hear from Banque de France governor François Villeroy de Galhau who says July and September hikes by the ECB are a given. U.S. markets see a banks rally but a profit warning from social media giant Snap drives tech futures on the Nasdaq lower. And in Tokyo, Quad nations agree to a new satellite-based maritime initiative in a bid to counter China.

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